Coronavirus Disrupts League Of Legends, CS:GO Esports Events In Asia
Once again, real life intrudes on video games. In this case, it's the fault of the coronavirus, which, as you've likely heard, is making its way through China (and other parts of the world). Nearly a hundred people in China have died from the epidemic, and its serious implications have forced a change in how multiple prominent companies are handling their esports events.
League of Legends' Pro League, the LPL, announced yesterday on Twitter that it has suspended week two of its events in China until it can "ensure the safety and health of our players and fans."
We have decided to postpone week 2 of the LPL until we can ensure the safety and health of our players and fans.
To our fans, we sincerely apologize that it has come to this and we will share any and all info as soon as we can.
Stay Safe and thank you all for your support!
— LPL (@lplenglish) January 26, 2020
The events were going to start Feb. 5, but given the uncertainty of the virus's spread -- not to mention numerous travel restrictions throughout China -- the league decided to play it safe and suspend the games until further notice.
League of Legends isn't the only game having its esports plans affected by the coronavirus. World Electronic Sports Games (WESG), which was responsible for running the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Asia-Pacific 2020 Finals in Macau Feb. 16-18, has also announced the cancellation of the event. Additionally, while there's been no announcement yet from Blizzard, the Overwatch League is scheduled to play its first games in China the weekend of Feb. 15-16. It would be hard to imagine those events proceeding as scheduled, and we'll stay on the lookout for any other postponements or cancellations down the road.
Related Articles
About the Author

Jason Winter is a veteran gaming journalist, he brings a wide range of experience to MMOBomb, including two years with Beckett Media where he served as the editor of the leading gaming magazine Massive Online Gamer. He has also written professionally for several gaming websites.
Read Next
Torchlight Frontiers Becomes Torchlight III, Will Be Buy-To-Play On Steam
A couple of weeks ago on the F2P Cast, Magicman gave an ominous prediction that Torchlight Frontiers might never come out.
By Jason Winter - 3 years agoYou May Enjoy
PAX East 2023: Digital Extremes Drops New "Venomess" Wayfinder, Coming In Season One At Launch
Season One on PC and PlayStation kicks off Early Access in May.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 6 days agoBattle In The Heart Of Tokyo With The Launch Of "Operation Sunstorm" Coming To Free-To-Play Shooter World War 3
Urban combat and tanks and drones, oh my!
By Troy Blackburn - 1 week agoMabinogi Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary With The Starlight Festival
New quests, mini-games, and more.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 3 days agoIt's Bots vs Bots In The Latest Anti-Cheat System Unveiled By Irdeto, "Denuvo Unbotify"
Unleashing AI to take out bot cheaters.
By Troy Blackburn - 1 week ago💣 Feature | Is It An MMO? #3 — Blue Protocol May Be Just An Action RPG, But It Sure Seems Like An MMO
It's not so different from Final Fantasy XIV, Guild Wars 2, and The Elder Scrolls Online.
By Matthew D'Onofrio - 1 day agoUnreal Editor for Fortnite Is Finally Here, And It Totally Changes The Game
Check out Epic Games' presentation, then try out the public beta for yourself now.
By Matthew D'Onofrio - 1 week ago
Discussion (0)