People from around the world have been working tirelessly to try to contain the spread of COVID-19, including many people in the esports community. But some tough choices have been made in the process, such as the most recent decision to cancel the playoff event for CS:GO‘s newest tournament, FLASHPOINT.
The tournament organizers worked on this conclusion alongside the Counter-Strike Professional Players Association and concluded that the entire first season of FLASHPOINT will be held in the company’s Los Angeles studio.
This move is the smartest decision the organizers can make in light of rising coronavirus concerns in the U.S. and across the globe. The L.A. studio provides a controlled environment that can be given various safety and cleanliness policies that would be harder to achieve anywhere else. Players and fans won’t need to travel around as much either, which also limits the risk of any problems cropping up in the future.
The world of CS:GO has been x heavily IEM Katowice by the coronavirus over the past couple of months. IEM Katowice, for example, had to play out its playoff stage without an audience to ensure the safety of all the players, staff, and fans.
Future events should be wary of the global health situation and must prepare backup plans should things start to go awry. There’s a good chance that, in the interest of public health, many big-name events will be canceled, postponed, or altered significantly as the year goes on.
Other esports titles have also been affected in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The League of Legends esports scene has seen multiple leagues delayed, including China’s LPL and Korea’s LCK. The fate of the 2020 Mid-Season Invitational is also in jeopardy since Riot Games announced that the virus has delayed the announcement of the tournament’s location.
