Riot Games Latinoamérica recently announced they will not participate in this year’s La Mole event. The pop culture convention is one of Mexico’s largest events, with sponsors including Bandai Namco, DC Comics, Nintendo, and more. Additionally, the convention offers gaming tournaments and included an exclusive Riot Games presence. Unfortunately, fans won’t be able to experience that company’s sneak peeks, developer info, and goodies this year.
Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, Riot is taking a step back from participating in large-crowd events. Riot posted an update about their presence at the event on their official League of Legends LATAM Twitter account. Daily Esports has translated the Tweet from Spanish to English. “Due to the increasing global impact of COVID-19,” they say, “[…] we have made the painful decision to, despite the fact that La Mole will continue, cancel our participation this weekend.” Riot continues the statement by sharing the importance of keeping everyone safe and healthy during the pandemic.
Actualización sobre nuestra participación en La Mole 2020 pic.twitter.com/gXNDP6PUck
— League of Legends (@lollatam) March 12, 2020
No last-minute cancelation for the event
Towards the end of the post, Riot apologizes for pulling out of the event and hopes that new opportunities will arise. The feedback under the post has people expressing a range of responses, from relief to sadness to praise.
Additionally, there is no word of the convention being suspended. The event will still take place in the Citibanabex Center in Mexico City starting tomorrow, running from March 13-15. As the convention will be tomorrow, a last-minute cancellation like Riot’s must cause frustration and confusion among their many participants. However, La Mole did share some safety tips for their customers that still plan to take part in the event.
Tips importantes con medidas de prevención en #LaMole2020. ¡Nos vemos mañana! #NoBesoNoAbrazo#SaludoVulcano#MeVoyaLaMole pic.twitter.com/H94RXsfdXy
— La Mole Convention (@lamolemx) March 12, 2020
As of March 11, Mexico’s Health Ministry had conducted 324 COVID-19 tests, resulting in 11 confirmed cases. Although the number isn’t as high as in other countries, precautions should still be taken.
As the COVID-19 global situation continues to affect more people each day, many gaming companies will be making tough decisions. Daily Esports will keep readers updated as more details develop as it relates back to esports.
