League Of Legends Pro League Delayed Due To Coronavirus
Having held the seasons-long tournament since 2013, the League Of Legends Pro League was set to grace fans with another showing of China’s top-tier champions. With the latest LPL season concluding its first week of matches earlier this month, eyes were beginning to shift toward the next wave of the esports competition set to start rolling out next week. However, it appears the next phase of the competition has now been met with a delay as concerns of a deadly coronavirus outbreak have spread across the region.
For those who haven’t heard, this past week saw a mysterious pneumonia-like virus introduced in Wuhan, China, with several other large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Macao, and Hong Kong also getting hit with the illness. So far (via Prima Games), over 2,500 people have reportedly come down with the contagion, with up to 81 deaths occurring as a result of the outbreak. As concerns continue to be felt across China as well as internationally, a global health emergency has been declared by the World Health Organization, with several public gatherings being postponed for the time being–including League Of Legends Pro League.
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
Seen in the tweet above, the competition’s second-week events have now been delayed with the goal of ensuring “the safety and health of our players and fans.” It’s currently unknown how or when replacement dates for the tournament will emerge, but the League expressed apologies that such a measure had to be taken, promising they “will share any and all info as soon as we can.” As LPL is one of China’s biggest esports events, this delay is sure to be a letdown for many fans, though it may prove to be a necessary and commendable one considering the rise of such serious health and safety concerns.
What do you think? Are you bummed that the League of Legends Pro League is delaying its Week 2 events? What are your thoughts about the mysterious coronavirus? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
