The Overwatch League (OWL) has canceled its March and April Homestands because of the growing COVID-19 situation. Now declared to be a pandemic, the virus has recently taken plenty of esports events by storm. As the OWL cancels the events, it leaves plenty of room for uncertainty.
In an official statement presented by the OWL website, Activision Blizzard Esports explained their decision. “We are continuing to closely monitor COVID-19 (coronavirus), city-level recommendations and mandates, and all guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” they said. Additionally, they mentioned their effort in considering options for all teams during these tough times. This is even more important for the teams in Asia.
Because of the previous schedule changes at the beginning of the outbreak, many teams have dealt with tough situations. These include rescheduling, quarantines, relocations, and more. However, beyond these Homestand events, the Overwatch League has not made any adjustments to other OWL events at this time.
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) March 11, 2020
Through an official OWL Reddit post, Vice President of Overwatch Esports Jon Spector shared some extra information: “Just to be super clear on this point, the March and April events are canceled, but we will still be playing matches during this period. We’ll share more specifics as soon as we can.” He also mentioned the Pacific conference teams will be back in action soon. These teams include Dallas Fuel, Chengdu Hunters, Vancouver Titans, and more.
The ability to do this in the face of unforeseen challenges like COVID-19 is part of what makes our business so unique. More details to come. (Part 2)
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) March 11, 2020
Spector additionally thanked OWL fans for being patient as the global situation unfolds. “Appreciate your (and all our fans[‘]) support and understanding. We’ll be back with matches ASAP and still competing in March and April even with all the physical events canceled.”
Joining other canceled and postponed esports events
Unfortunately, the OWL joins many esports leagues that have had to face several cancellations of future events. Just recently, Riot Games has announced a delay in their Mid-Season Invitational for the same reason. As more details unfold, Daily Esports will keep you updated.
