LPL suspends League of Legends matches due to Coronavirus outbreak
Freepik / Riot GamesChina’s League of Legends Pro League has called off their upcoming week 2 matches and expressed safety risks following the spread of the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.
The recent outbreak of the Coronavirus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, has begun to spread to many other cities in the region and has even made its way to other countries.
As it is still unknown just how many people have been affected by the virus, the LPL has decided to take precautionary measures ahead of their second week of the 2020 spring split.
Riot GamesAlthough the majority of the LPL’s Spring Split matches are set to take place in Beijing, the Chinese League revealed they would be postponing all of their upcoming week 2 matches.
“We have decided to postpone week 2 of the LPL until we can ensure the safety and health of our players and fans,” the LPL posted on their Twitter on January 26.
“To our fans, we sincerely apologize that it has come to this and we will share any and all info as soon as we can,” they expressed, thanking fans for their support.
We have decided to postpone week 2 of the LPL until we can ensure the safety and health of our players and fans.
To our fans, we sincerely apologize that it has come to this and we will share any and all info as soon as we can.
Stay Safe and thank you all for your support!
— LPL (@lplenglish) January 26, 2020
As a lot is still unclear about the coronavirus, it is quite possible that the LPL could be forced to postpone further weeks of the split, causing a massive delay in their season.
Such a delay could cause issues for their attendance at major international events such as the Mid-Season Invitational, which consists of champions from each region, that is scheduled to take place following the conclusion of the spring split.
However, as for now, Chinese League of Legends fans will just have to wait over the coming weeks to see what the future holds for LPL.
Many esports fans have also highlighted the fact that the Overwatch League could be soon to follow in the LPL’s footsteps by postponing upcoming games, as they will be hosting multiple homestands in China to kick off the 2020 year.