Some Overwatch League matches will take place later than originally planned this weekend. China has declared April 4 a national day of mourning for victims of COVID-19. As a result, all four Overwatch League matches taking place in China this weekend will be played a day later.
The league sent out a statement today updating the weekend’s schedule. Originally, the Hangzhou Spark were set to face the Shanghai Dragons at 3am CT on April 4 and the Guangzhou Charge would take on the Chengdu Hunters two hours later at 5am CT. These games will now be played at the same time slots on April 5.
On April 5, the Chengdu Hunters would have faced the Shanghai Dragons at 3am CT and the Hangzhou Spark were set to play against the Guangzhou Charge at 5am CT. These matches have been moved to the same time slots on April 6. For North American viewers, this means matches will take place on Monday morning.
Since the day of mourning is only taking place in China, no North American game schedules will be affected. This means the Overwatch League weekend now begins with the Toronto Defiant facing the Washington Justice at 3pm CT on April 4.
For the four teams representing China in the Overwatch League, the road to the current season has been difficult because of the coronavirus. These teams were the first to have their homestand live events canceled due to the pandemic. After months of waiting, they played their first games as a part of the league’s online tournament system last weekend.
The Overwatch League returns on April 4 at 3pm CT.
