Not even esports is safe from the effects of climate change.
As traditional sports events across the U.K. have been canceled or shortened in an effort to protect players from the dangerous heatwave sweeping the country, the esports tournament platform Hyperluxe followed suit today by postponing a planned Apex Legends tournament for players in the EU.
Hyperluxe released a statement on Twitter addressing the delay. “Due to the unbearable temperature in the UK we will be postponing today’s event until everyone can compete comfortably,” Hyperluxe said. “The health and safety of our participants is our top priority.”
While it may seem like competing remotely from the comfort of dens or bedrooms would insulate gamers from the historic heat, air conditioning is rare in the U.K. and most buildings are not designed to experience high temperatures, making the people inside them miserable.
A spokeperson for Hyperluxe said that the decision to postpone the event was made after reaching out to its staff in the U.K., one of whom likened their PC setup to having an unwanted space heater in a room that was already unbearably hot and humid. The spokeperson confirmed that access to air conditioning was unlikely for competitors since it was hardly ever needed.
Given the amount of heat that PCs can generate, gaming setups are particularly vulnerable spaces during a heatwave like this. Even in normal conditions, rooms with gaming rigs in them can become uncomfortably hot. This week, it has the potential to be legitimately dangerous.
Hyperluxe, a relatively new tournament organizer in the Apex scene, is based in North America but is looking to expand to the EU. The weekly tournament has been rescheduled for July 24 “in hopes that all of our competitors can play their best in a comfortable and safe environment.”
