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At the end of January, the Overwatch League made the difficult decision to cancel all games scheduled in China from February to March over concerns about the coronavirus. Fans have been left in limbo for weeks wondering what would become of the five homestands previously set in cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou. These matches will be made up at a studio in Seoul, South Korea, the league announced today.
The previously canceled matches will take place “over multiple days” during week six and seven of the current schedule, according to a news update by the Overwatch League. Week six is scheduled for March 14 and 15 and week seven is March 21 and 22. In addition, some of the make-up matches “might be added to the Seoul Dynasty homestand,” which takes place on March 7 and 8.
The initial cancellation of five homestand games affected 27 matches scheduled in February and March. Homestands hosted by the Shanghai Dragons, Hangzhou Spark, and Guangzhou Charge were canceled in their home cities due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. Teams like the Shanghai Dragons and Guangzhou Charge moved their practice facilities to South Korea to protect players and staff from the virus.
While the matches will be played in Seoul and livestreamed for fans, this leaves Chinese fans without five homestands they were promised. The Shanghai Dragons and Hangzhou Spark missed out on only one homestand event, but the Guangzhou Charge had three of their five total annual events canceled due to the coronavirus threat. The league hasn’t discussed how this will affect those teams or their financial standings.
Specific times and dates for make-up matches have not yet been set by the Overwatch League. In weeks five, six, and seven, other homestands will be taking place in Washington D.C., Florida, and Atlanta respectively. The make-up matches won’t affect the North American homestands, according to the league.
Published: Feb 14, 2020 05:55 pm