The Overwatch League has canceled an upcoming homestand based in Seoul, South Korea, due to news of the coronavirus spreading through the country. The Seoul Dynasty homestand, initially set to be held March 7 and 8, will now be rescheduled.
Unfortunately for the Overwatch League, this cancellation also affects all of the previously scheduled Chinese homestand make-up matches set to be played in Seoul. Earlier this season, five homestands taking place in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou were canceled due to the coronavirus. These matches were set to be made up at a studio in Seoul over weeks five, six, and seven of the Overwatch League.
This cancellation is yet another roadblock in the Overwatch League’s competitive schedule. The five canceled Chinese homestands represented 27 matches played by the Pacific East and Pacific West divisions. With the Seoul homestand, that number now rises to 33 affected matches. No team in the Pacific East division has played a match yet due to cancellations.
Player safety is now also an immediate concern. Several teams traveled to Seoul to practice before the Dynasty homestand, including the San Francisco Shock and Los Angeles Gladiators. Multiple teams in the Pacific East division also moved their practice areas to South Korea after threats of the coronavirus in China. The Shanghai Dragons and Guangzhou Charge both relocated while the Chengdu Hunters decided to stay local.
The Seoul Dynasty stated that fans will be refunded for the March 7 homestand and matches will be rescheduled. Details on how this will affect the Overwatch League’s schedule will be provided at a later time. There have been no updates about players or teams leaving the country.
This story is developing and will be updated when more information is released.
