Uprising Academy is an American
esports
Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...
team for the video game ''
Overwatch
''Overwatch'' is a multimedia franchise centered on a series of online multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment: ''Overwatch'' released in 2016, and ''Overwatch 2'' released in 2022. Both games fea ...
'' competing in
Overwatch Contenders
Overwatch Contenders (OWC) is an international esports league for the video game ''Overwatch'' that is organized by Blizzard Entertainment. The series acts as the development league for aspiring Overwatch League (OWL) professionals. Founded in 2 ...
(OWC) and an
academy team for the
Boston Uprising
Boston Uprising is an American professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The team competes in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, Boston is one of the league's twelv ...
of the
Overwatch League
The Overwatch League (OWL) is a professional esports league for the video game ''Overwatch'', produced by its developer, Blizzard Entertainment. The Overwatch League follows the model of other traditional North American professional sporting lea ...
(OWL). The franchise played its first four seasons as Toronto Esports; shortly after being purchased by the
Kraft Group
The Kraft Group, LLC, is a group of privately held companies in the professional sports, manufacturing, and real estate development industries doing business in 90 countries. Founded in 1998 by American businessman Robert Kraft as a holding com ...
, the team rebranded as Uprising Academy due to a naming rights issue with
Toronto Defiant
Toronto Defiant is a Canadian professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Defiant compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) and are a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2018, Toronto began play as one of eigh ...
. The team is based in
Boston, Massachusetts and recently played in the North American region of OWC.
Franchise history
2016–2018: Toronto Esports
Toronto Esports Club, a multi-game esports organization, announced their intention to enter the competitive Overwatch scene under the name Toronto Esports on August 6 with the hiring of
Chris "HuK" Loranger as the team's Overwatch consultant manager; a month later, the club announced their first professional Overwatch roster. Toronto Esports competed in North America Contenders 2017 Season 0, but failed to qualify for 2017 Season 1.
On February 19, 2018, Uprising announced that Toronto Esports would be competing as Boston's
academy team in Contenders for 2018 Season 1. In their first season as an affiliate team, Toronto made it to the North America Grand Finals, where the team fell 1–4 to
Fusion University
Fusion University (FU) was an American esports team for the video game ''Overwatch'' competing in Overwatch Contenders (OWC) and an academy team for the Philadelphia Fusion of the Overwatch League (OWL). The team is based in Philadelphia, Penns ...
. The team again qualified for the playoffs in 2018 Season 2, where they faced Fusion University in the quarterfinals; although the match was closer than their Grand Finals match the previous season, Toronto lost 2–3.
In November 2018,
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three graduat ...
informed Toronto Esports Club that the team must drop the word "Toronto" from its Overwatch team brand, as the new
Overwatch League
The Overwatch League (OWL) is a professional esports league for the video game ''Overwatch'', produced by its developer, Blizzard Entertainment. The Overwatch League follows the model of other traditional North American professional sporting lea ...
expansion team
Toronto Defiant
Toronto Defiant is a Canadian professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Defiant compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) and are a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2018, Toronto began play as one of eigh ...
had "exclusive naming rights" in the city. The club responded by attempting to disband their Overwatch team altogether, posting on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
,
However, Loranger clarified that the Kraft organization still owned all the rights to the players, coaches, and the Contenders slot held by the team and would continue to compete in Contenders, albeit under a new brand.
2018–present: Uprising Academy
On November 28, 2018, the team officially announced that they would be competing under the name Uprising Academy. In 2018 Season 3, Uprising qualified for the playoffs, but fell to
XL2 Academy
XL2 Academy is an American esports team for the video game ''Overwatch'' that competed in Overwatch Contenders (OWC) as an academy team for the New York Excelsior of the Overwatch League (OWL). The team is based in New York City, New York and pl ...
in the quarterfinals. The team did not qualify for the playoffs the following season, posting a 1–6 record, and marking the first time they failed to qualify for the playoffs since becoming an OWL affiliate team. In 2019 Season 2, Uprising Academy finished the regular season with a 5–2 record to qualify for the NA East regional playoffs. However, the team fell to the
Gladiators Legion
Gladiators Legion is an American esports team for the video game ''Overwatch'' competing in Overwatch Contenders (OWC) and an academy team for the Los Angeles Gladiators of the Overwatch League (OWL). The team is owned by Stan Kroenke and Josh K ...
in the NA East quarterfinals match.
In 2021, Uprising Academy announced it would be playing in OWC Korea for 2021 season 1.
In May 2021, Uprising Academy announced its return to North America for Contenders Trials Season 2.
In October 2022, Uprising Academy announced that it would no longer be competing in Overwatch Contenders 2022.
Seasons overview
Current roster
OWL buyouts and promotions
All Overwatch Contenders players are eligible to be promoted by their affiliated Overwatch League team or signed to any other Overwatch League during specified non-blackout periods.
2018
*Support Harrison "Kruise" Pond was signed by new expansion franchise
Paris Eternal
The Vegas Eternal, formerly the Paris Eternal, is an American professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Eternal compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2018, Paris ...
on October 23.
*Tank Park "Axxiom" Min-seob and DPS Kelsey "Colourhex" Birse were promoted to Boston Uprising on October 30.
*DPS Charlie "nero" Zwarg and support Kim "Shu" Jin-seo were signed to
Guangzhou Charge
Guangzhou Charge () is a Chinese professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Guangzhou, Guangdong. The Charge compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's East region. Founded in 2018, Guangzhou Charge began play as on ...
on November 22.
2019
*Tank Cameron "Fusions" Bosworth was promoted to Boston Uprising on February 12.
*Support Gabriel "Swimmer" Levy and tank Walid "Mouffin" Bassal were promoted to Boston Uprising on November 7, with Mouffin on a
two-way contract
A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless of ...
.
*DPS Chris "MirroR" Trinh was signed to the
Los Angeles Gladiators
The Los Angeles Gladiators are an American professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Los Angeles, California. The Gladiators compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, the Los Angeles ...
on November 12.
2021
*Tank Yun "GaeBullSsi" Young-sun was promoted to Boston Uprising on April 16.
*DPS Lim "Finale" Jung-woo was signed to the
Toronto Defiant
Toronto Defiant is a Canadian professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Defiant compete in the Overwatch League (OWL) and are a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2018, Toronto began play as one of eigh ...
on December 12.
*DPS Oh "Victoria" Gi-hun was promoted to Boston Uprising on December 22.
2022
*Tank Kim "ITSAL" Chang-hee was promoted to Boston Uprising on March 23.
OWL affiliates
Uprising Academy
*
Boston Uprising
Boston Uprising is an American professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The team competes in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, Boston is one of the league's twelv ...
(2018–present)
Toronto Esports
*
Boston Uprising
Boston Uprising is an American professional ''Overwatch'' esports team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The team competes in the Overwatch League (OWL) as a member of the league's West region. Founded in 2017, Boston is one of the league's twelv ...
(2018)
References
{{Boston Uprising
Overwatch League academy teams
Esports teams based in the United States
Sports teams in Boston
Esports teams established in 2016
Boston Uprising