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Late Wednesday afternoon Activision Blizzard announced that the Overwatch League would cancel all matches that were to be played in China for February and March. Information regarding when matches will be resumed will be made available at a later date.
Earlier this week the U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory stating, “Reconsider travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China.” While the announcement did not specify that the health risks associated with the coronavirus were the reason for the cancellations, it was made clear that protecting the health and safety of their players was the top priority.
The announcement directly affects the Overwatch League’s four China-based teams; Chengdu Hunters, Hangzhou Spark, Guangzhou Charge, and Shanghai Dragons.
Shanghai Dragons was due to host its first home market event during the second week of the season which takes place from Feb. 14-16, while Guangzhou Charge was slated to host week three matches from Feb. 21-23.
The Esports Observer has reached out to Activision Blizzard for further comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.
