China's LPL announces return date following Coronavirus hiatus

• LPL returns on 9th March 2020 following a six-week hiatus
• Matches were delayed following the Coronavirus outbreak to help protect organisers and players
• The virus has affected a number of esports events

After one week of matches back in January, China’s League Of Legends Pro League was put on hold to ensure the safety of players in light of the Coronavirus.  

An online scrim league was streamed as a temporary measure, but the LPL has now announced the 2020 Spring Split matches will resume on 9th March.  

There’s still some precautionary measures though; all matches will take place online and players will be required to “complete a 14-day monitored quarantine period” before they can participate.  

“This new 2020 LPL format will be the first time a professional League Of Legends league is done online,” the statement reads.  

“There will likely be some unforeseen technical difficulties, but will we try our best to deal with them in a timely fashion.” 

The English broadcast will continue 15th March 2020, while the Chinese broadcasts will take place between 9-15th March across the LPL’s Twitch and YouTube channels.  

A number of esports events have been affected by the outbreak, with IEM Katowice closing its doors to the public a day before matches were scheduled to begin.  

LPL matches will resume in March (Picture: Riot Games) 

The Overwatch League also cancelled the Seoul Dynasty homestand in South Korea in light of the virus, with homestands in China also postponed.  

There’s been 2,788 confirmed deaths from the Coronavirus in China, which has spread to the Middle East, Europe and the US.