All Overwatch League events in March and April canceled by Blizzard over coronavirus concerns
The Esports industry is feeling the affects of COVID-19 as more tournaments are canceled.
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What you need to know
Growing concerns over COVID-19 have forced Blizzard tocancel all Overwatch League eventsthat were planned to take place in March and April. This news comes just several hours after the Entertainment Software Association revealed that E3 2020, one of the biggest trade shows of the year, wasbeing canceled.
After careful review and working in close collaboration with our teams, we are canceling all Overwatch League events scheduled for March and April.Concurrently, we are working hand-in-hand with our teams to see that all matches are played when it’s safe and logistically feasible, staying as close to our originally planned schedule as possible. We are considering the various options available to esports in this effort, so that all teams – including those previously impacted by scheduling changes in China – can get back to doing what they do best.
According to Blizzard, no other adjustments have been made to scheduled future OWL events. The company is closely monitoring the situation and is following all guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Matches were set to take place in San Francisco, Florida, Washington, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, Toronto, London, and Paris.
EA has similarly canned events for Apex Legends and FIFA, while tournaments for League of Legends Champions Korea, PUBG, Dota 2, Counter-Strike have all either been postponed or canceled as well.
Those interested in learning more information about specific events canceled are encouraged to go the host team websites and follow them on social media.
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Jennifer Locke has been playing video games nearly her entire life, and is very happy Xbox is growing a stronger first-party portfolio. You can find her obsessing over Star Wars and other geeky things on Twitter@JenLocke95.
