Overwatch League matches will not be taking place in China for the first two months of the 2020 season, Blizzard have announced.
The decision was announced via a tweet sent out from the official Overwatch League Twitter account who said the matches would be cancelled “in order to protect the health and safety of our players, fans and staff” and that they will “share more information about what and where the matches will take place a later date”.
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) January 30, 2020
While it has not been confirmed by Blizzard, it is likely that the move has been made in response to the ongoing 2019-nCoV outbreak (more commonly known as the Coronavirus). The virus has infected thousands with cases confirmed in every province of China as well as a handful of cases worldwide.
The 2020 Overwatch League season was set to be the first season where the 20 teams would play worldwide as well as in their home countries. This will not be the case for Chengdu Hunters, Hangzhou Spark, Guangzhou Charge and the Shanghai Dragons; all teams have given a statement on the matter bar Hangzhou Spark.
Regarding our February Homestand pic.twitter.com/UOQ3u6waMN
— Shanghai Dragons (@ShanghaiDragons) January 30, 2020
Guangzhou Charge have acted on the matter, relocating their team to South Korea in order to allow them to train without fear of catching the virus, Shanghai Dragons have expressed their apologies to fans and promised a bigger venue for the July matches while Chengdu Hunters are going to be following China’s health and safety protocols by remaining in the country and regularly ensuring the team members and staff are in a healthy condition.
The Overwatch League is due to kick off on February 8th, 6 PM GMT with Toronto Defiant going up against Paris Eternal.
