Chengdu Hunters to stay in China ahead of OWL opener despite growing coronavirus concerns

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The Chengdu Hunters will keep its players and staff in China despite coronavirus fears, the team announced today. Chengdu has just two weeks before its opening Overwatch League match, which will be played in Shanghai.

Although Chengdu is staying in China, the team will take extreme precautions in keeping its players and staff safe. The team said that “all members will return to the base at once” and “upon arrival, all personnel will have their temperatures checked and undergo full-body disinfection.” The team also “stockpiled medical equipment including masks, antiseptics, and medication.”

Earlier this week, Shanghai and Guangzhou announced that they would be relocating to South Korea for the remainder of their offseason practice. But both of these teams have Korean players and coaches, unlike the fully Chinese Chengdu. That probably means the decision to remain in China may have been made for the Hunters, due to the complications that come with visa applications, since the season opener for them will be in China in two weeks.

The OWL will be hosted in Shanghai on Feb. 15, but there’s no information on whether the homestand event will be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Chengdu ended their statements by saying that they “have maintained close contact with the league throughout the past few weeks and hope to be able to provide you with updates soon.”

The Overwatch League returns for season three on Feb. 8 with a series between the Toronto Defiant and the Paris Eternal at 12pm CT.