Free Fire Champions Cup 2020 postponed due to Coronavirus

The Free Fire Champions Cup (FFCC) 2020 is the latest esport event to be postponed due to growing concerns over the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The event which would have seen the world's top 12 teams compete for a $550,000+ prize pool was set to take place on 19 April in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Garena, the developers of Free Fire, put out a short statement on Facebook announcing the postponement and stressing their priority is, "the well-being of our athletes, fans and staff, it is not feasible to bring them from around the world together for the event.

They added their "current intention is to hold the event at a later date. We are exploring all possibilities to proceed with the event once conditions allow".

The decision comes just days after Indonesia confirmed its first COVID-19 cases, two women aged 31 and 64 from Depok, West Java had contracted the virus.

Scientists have criticised Indonesian authorities for not acting quicker in regards to Coronavirus. Indonesia has close business and tourism ties to China and scientists believe there are many more cases that have gone undetected due to a slow response from the Indonesian government.

The Free Fire Champions Cup 2020 postponement joins a growing list of esport events that have been delayed or cancelled due to the Coronavirus.

Psyonix recently cancelled the Rocket League World Championship in Dallas, while the LCK, LPL, and Overwatch League have also been affected.

Free Fire is one of the most popular mobile esports in the world and has a huge following in Brazil, Indonesia and India. It has over 500 million registered users and has grossed over $1B worldwide. The game is a 50 player battle royale game in the vein of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.