Esports' Overwatch League cancels first homestands of 2020 season in China due to coronavirus

Chris Bumbaca | USA TODAY

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Much of the excitement of Year Three of the Overwatch League, which executives have circled as a pivotal year for growth, is the implementation of a true home-and-away feel, with teams hosting matches in their respective cities at facilities designed to host esports competitions.

On Wednesday, OWL — scheduled to open the third season on Feb. 8 — canceled the first homestands set in China through March following the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Overwatch commissioner Pete Vlastelica said Friday the league will always prioritize the safety of its players and fans. When presented with the facts surrounding coronavirus, it was an easy call to make.

"It’s a pretty fluid situation and one we just have to take very seriously," Vlastelica said. "The good news is we were able to get out in front of it and at least give our fans the clarity that those events themselves won’t be happening as they were scheduled, which also really helped our players. Not just by giving them permission to leave a potentially unsafe environment, but show them that their safety is what matters."

During OWL's inaugural 2018 season, two Asia-based teams joined the league (Seoul and Shanghai). Last year, three more Chinese teams joined — Chengdu, Guangzhou and Hangzhou. Together, they make up a quarter of the 20 teams in Overwatch.

The coronavirus outbreak is centered around the Chinese city of Wuhan. OWL said it is currently working on finding alternate locations to hold the matches so the schedule is not affected further.

"We do have a number of options drawn up in some detail that we’re evaluating against each other," Vlastelica said, but added that a decision is imminent. "I think we made the right decision."

OWL is not the lone sports entity affected by the coronavirus.

The International Olympic Committee quelled fears Friday that the outbreak of the virus would affect the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The world indoor track and field championship, which was set to be held in Nanjing, was postponed until 2021.