After cancelling matches in China last month, Blizzard has decided to postpone another three weeks of Overwatch League games, this time in South Korea. This comes in the wake of the continued spread of COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus. The Overwatch League made the official announcement on Twitter.
In order to protect the health & safety of our players, fans, & staff, we are canceling plans to host #OWL2020 matches in South Korea in Weeks 5, 6, and 7, including the @SeoulDynasty home event. We’ll share more info about when and where matches will take place at a later.February 24, 2020
"In order to protect the health & safety of our players, fans, & staff, we are canceling plans to host OWL2020 matches in South Korea in Weeks 5, 6, and 7, including the home event," the tweet said. This means that the Seoul Dynasty home matches planned for March 7-8 have been postponed indefinitely, likely because South Korea now has the highest amount of coronavirus cases outside of China, according to Vox.
The coronavirus has had a major impact on the gaming industry outside of Overwatch, too. Oculus Quest headsets continue to be in short supply, while Valve has announced it intends to rectify Index shortages ahead of Half-Life: Alyx. In esports, the PUBG Corporation cancelled its first major event of the year, while the Chinese League of Legends League chose to postpone Week 2 of the LPL until it could "ensure the safety and health of [its] players and fans."
Blizzard has stated it will post an update in relation to rescheduling matches at a later date. Thanks for the tip-off, Polygon.
