Although the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread through multiple geographic regions, many Esports tournaments and events have in fact been postponed or cancelled altogether. The esteemed countries and organizers of concerning events were the ones to make official statements regarding such Esports activities. Having said that, let us point out the significant events in Esports affected by Coronavirus.
Dota 2 The International 2020
The official Dota Pro Circuit that leads to the highlight event of the Dota 2 aka The International. It is among the most significant Esports events when it comes to the prize pool. With the 2020 yearly Dota 2 Majors and Minor events getting cancelled by the coronavirus outbreak, The International 2020 also got cancelled until the year 2021 without any official date. Moreover, Dota 2 Battle pass for 2020 also got delayed ahead of its official yearly release date.
Overwatch
Overwatch Homestand event, planned for February and March in China, has been withdrawn due to players and fans’ protection in the face of Covid-19. Overwatch League games organized in China and South Korea also got cancelled. But, as expected, another statement suggested it might proceed in Washington, D.C.
FIFA
The stage V and PlayStation FUT champion cup approved Qualifying event, both occurring in the near future, got cancelled indefinitely.
Rocket League Championships
Live activity of the Rocket League Season 9 World Championship, set to take place in Texas from April 24-26, got cancelled due to the emergence of COVID-19. The game creator Psyonix, in turn, agreed to raise the prize money for the corresponding regional competitions by US$ 250,000.
League of Legends LEC Spring Finals
The LEC Spring Finals scheduled to take place on April 25-26 in Budapest, Hungary, got cancelled due to public safety regarding Covid-19 concerns. Alternatively, the Finals will now commence in the Berlin’s LEC studio.
Combo Breaker 2020
The Combo Breaker 2020 was likely to take place at the Schaumburg Renaissance Marriott in Illinois, USA, on May 22-24. But the event got cancelled due to increasing health issues concerning Coronavirus.
NorCal Regionals 2020
The NorCal Regionals initially got scheduled to be held in San Jose, California, from April 10-12. But the decision reversed because of Santa Clara Country’s direct order to “cancel mass meetings” due to increased levels of COVID-19 incidents.
Taipei Major 2020
There will be no more Taipei Major for this year. However, the tournament is likely to return somewhat during the upcoming year instead.
Capcom Pro Tour 2020
The starting three official events of the Capcom Pro Tour got removed from the circuit. Besides, the Brussels Challenge 2020, scheduled for March 20-22 in Belgium, also got officially cancelled.
Gaming Conventions
Last year, the Entertainments Software Association confirmed the cancellation of the likely 25th yearly event E3 2020 that was likely to occur in Los Angeles. Many notable cancelled conventions include TwitchCon Amsterdam, Minecraft Festival 2020, and DreamHack Tours France, and more.
What impact will the cancellation of such events have on the Esports? Please share your thoughts with us.
