The first Major event of the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) has been postponed as the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States continues to worsen. The tournament was slated to take place March 13-15 in Arlington, Texas.

The ALGS Major 1 is the first of 12 live global events for the game’s esports circuit, with 60 teams vying for a cut of a US$500,000 prize pool. The major’s venue, the Esports Stadium Arlington, had an expected live audience attendance of around 2,500 people.

“These decisions haven’t come easy, but given the large, global nature of these events, we believe that making these changes are in the best interest of protecting the health of the community, including competitors, attendees and staff,” said EA in a statement.

EA will be refunding those who have already bought tickets for the postponed Major and provide a new event date some time in the future.

Despite the postponement of its first Major event, the ALGS will proceed with its second online tournament of the season on March 21 and March 23.

The global esports industry has been heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Various tournaments, as well as two major developer conferences, have already been postponed or canceled as organizers have opted to take precautionary measures against the widespread health threat.

Meanwhile, members the gaming community have been actively initiating efforts to support those already affected by the outbreak.

Apex Legends Global Series Major 1 postponed due to COVID-19