Guangzhou Charge announced today that the organization will be relocating their preseason training base due to the rising threat of the coronavirus. The team will instead complete their training in South Korea.
Amid concerns of coronavirus, OWL team Guangzhou Charge are moving their training camp. (Photo courtesy Activision Blizzard)
The organization made it clear the health of its players is its number one concern: “Our top priority is the health and safety of our players above all else… We believe that this is the best course for our team… and how best to protect our players given how quickly things change on a day-to-day basis. “
All non-Chinese players have already been relocated to Korea, and the organization is working on expediting visas for the Chinese players.
Guangzhou Charge also addressed the possibility of the upcoming Overwatch League season being impacted by the virus. The organization and other teams in the region have discussed solutions with the Overwatch League, and hope fans can understand this dire situation can be unpredictable: “We hope our fans can understand what the Chinese teams and the league are faced with, and will wait patiently for official announcements from the league.”
The death toll from the coronavirus now stands at 106 and has spread to at least 16 countries. The virus is unpredictable and will continue to affect the Guangzhou Charge and all other teams based in China.
Fear of the virus has hit the esports scene hard as of late. League of Legends’ LDL and LPL are currently postponed, while CS:GO’s Dosia and mou have left their Chinese team, OneThree.
Fans will have to wait and see what decisions the Overwatch League makes for the future of these teams. The Overwatch League returns on Feb. 8th.
