The home series for the Los Angeles Guerrillas and OpTic Gaming LA scheduled for this weekend will go on as planned, as organizers say preparations have been made to protect players and fans amid rising concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
Activision-Blizzard Esports and the Call of Duty League announced the decision and outlined the measures taken in a Friday news release.
The companies said there will be comprehensive cleaning of equipment and player areas before and after use, and also of the venue itself. There also will be more access to hand sanitizer and additional stock of hand-washing supplies in bathrooms.
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Medical staff, including a physician and a nurse, will also be on hand.
Fans won't have many opportunities to interact with players during the event, as a precaution. The league is canceling meet-and-greets, autograph signing sessions and team walkouts.
On Friday, the coronavirus eclipsed 100,000 cases worldwide. It has been linked to nearly 3,400 deaths, primarily in China, the epicenter of the outbreak, according to The Associated Press. More than half of those who contracted the virus have now recovered.
Concerns about the disease have caused cancellations of events across dozens of sports worldwide as well as questions on whether this year's Tokyo Olympics will be affected. Gaming and esports have also felt the impact of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
On Thursday, Rocket League developer Psyonix announced it will not run the Rocket League Season 9 World Championship, which was scheduled for April 24-26 in Dallas. The League of Legends Pro League in China, after a nearly monthlong hiatus, will return in an online format because of the threat of the virus, and League Champions Korea is now being postponed with the number of additional cases in South Korea reaching 505 on Friday alone.
In Europe, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's IEM Katowice tournament was played out without an audience because of the outbreak, and in the United States, the Game Developers Conference was delayed.
Although no Call of Duty events have been canceled yet, Activision-Blizzard's Overwatch League has seen its homestands in China and South Korea go to the wayside for now as well. No plans have been announced for making up those matches.
The Saturday and Sunday action at Los Angeles' Shrine Expo Hall will feature the Guerrillas vs. OpTic Gaming and Minnesota R0KKR vs. Seattle Surge in Group A, with the Florida Mutineers vs. Atlanta FaZe and Dallas Empire vs. New York Subliners in Group B.
-- Field Level Media