Overwatch League cancels February and March matches in China over Coronavirus

Ahead of the Overwatch League’s official start on 8th February in New York, Blizzard announced future events in China have been cancelled in wake of the Coronavirus.  

In a statement, the organisation said: “We have decided to cancel our February and March matches in China in order to protect the health and safety of our players, fans, and staff.  

“We hope fans have a safe and happy Lunar New Year, and we remain incredible excited to play Overwatch League matches in China later this season.

“We’ll share more information about when and where the matches will take place at a later date. Thank you for your support and understanding.” 

The second week of the Overwatch League was set to be hosted in Shanghai, while the fourth week took place in Hangzhou, China. 

The Coronavirus, which has killed 170 people in China, is now feared to have spread to numerous other countries, with cases confirmed in Germany, Vietnam and India. 

Overwatch League team Shanghai Dragons recently announced they were temporarily moving operations to South Korea due to the virus, along with Guangzhou Charge.  

Events across League Of Legends and CS:GO have also been affected by the virus, with some players even leaving their teams altogether.  

The Overwatch League begins on 8th February at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom.