The Overwatch League has announced that they are cancelling all Homestand events scheduled for the months of March and April after the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has been declared a global pandemic.
A total of 10 homestand events have been canceled:
- Florida Mayhem, March 13-14
- Atlanta Reign, March 21-22
- London Spitfire, March 28-29
- San Francisco Shock, March 28-29
- Dallas Fuel, April 4-5 and April 24-25
- Washington Justice, April 4-5
- Paris Eternal, April 11-12
- Los Angeles Valiant, April 18-19
- Toronto Defiant, April 18-19
- Boston Uprising, April 25-26
The Overwatch League had previously canceled homestand events and matches scheduled for the months of February, March, and April in China and South Korea due to the outbreak.
“The health and safety of employees, fans, players, teams, and partners is paramount to Activision Blizzard Esports. We are continuing to closely monitor COVID-19 (coronavirus), city-level recommendations and mandates, and all guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” said the Overwatch League in a statement.
The league added that they are only canceling the live homestand events and not the matches themselves, which will still be played and broadcasted.
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The league assured fans that they 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,” said the Overwatch League.
Activision Blizzard Esports CEO and Overwatch League commissioner Pete Vlastelica added that they are moving “a few things around in the schedule” to ensure league play continues.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the esports activities all around the world, with League of Legends’ Mid-Season Invitational notably being postponed to July by the worsening outbreak.
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