Esports can’t seem to catch a break as coronavirus concerns continue to mount. Now, the LCS has decided to suspend all play for the foreseeable future.
The LCS has suspended play and will most likely move to an online-only format.
“As the impact of coronavirus continues to grow, we’re committed to keeping the health and safety of fans, players, and everyone who makes the LCS possible at the forefront of every decision we make,” LCS Commissioner Chris Greeley said. “And so, and it was an incredibly difficult call to make, but this afternoon we decided, after discussion with LCS teams, to suspend operations.”
This move extends to both the LCS as well as the LCS Academy matches that were scheduled for the immediate future. This announcement came only hours after United States President Donald Trump announced that the United States was in a State of Emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result of this move, the LCS Spring Split finals event that was scheduled to hit Frisco, TX in just under a month and a half will now be moved back to the LCS studio.
The LCS plans to move matches to remote games, not having their players on site, as soon as possible in order to complete the Spring Split.
After the LEC made a similar announcement on Friday, various players played in house games to keep their fanbases entertained, with casting from LEC personalities. It seems likely that NA organizations may follow suit.
A wide swath of esports events have delayed their matches from March and April and are expected to continue to do so as the month progresses and more cases are identified. The current COVID-19 infection rate stands at over 140,000 and the death toll at 5,123.
