Big events keep being affected as the coronavirus pandemic continues, with the latest example being a postponement for the Intel World Open, which will now be held in 2021.
The 2020 Summer Olympics, which were set to be held in Tokyo, were also postponed until next year. Because of that move, it was only a matter of time before the IWO was delayed since it will be directly tied to the Olympics in several ways.
This event was set to be a massive stage for both Rocket League and Street Fighter V, with qualifiers set to begin on May 2, but Intel and its partners finally made the announcement.
“Due to the evolving global situation around COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the postponement of the Olympic Games, the Intel World Open, and the planned May 2 online qualifiers, have been postponed until next year,” Intel said. “Though we were excited to witness the best Street Fighter 5 and Rocket League players, we must focus on the health and safety of the community first.”
Street Fighter V: Champion Edition was going to be the event’s headliner. The $500,000 prize pool that was going to be evenly split between SFV and Rocket League would have brought a lot of the top players and teams out to compete, even if it wasn’t tied to the Olympic Games.
This postponement means that the National and Regional Qualifiers will likely be pushed back until next May, while the Live Qualifier and Tokyo Final will be placed accordingly to coincide with the modified Olympic schedule.
