The Overwatch League (OWL) has been forced to postpone three weeks’ worth of scheduled matches in Seoul, following reports that Asia’s Coronavirus outbreak is spreading in South Korea.
In a statement, the League said: “In order to protect the health and safety of our players, fans, & staff, we are cancelling plans to host OWL 2020 matches in South Korea in Weeks 5, 6, and 7, including the Seoul Dynasty home event.”
The Dynasty is the only franchise which is based in South Korea. The original plans involved the team hosting matches from March 7th – 22nd at the landmark Dongdaemun Design Plaza. The next Overwatch League matches scheduled in Seoul are May 9th -10th.
OWL’s unprecedented global schedule is only in its first year. This includes host matches for its 20 city-based franchises in Asia, North America and Europe.
They promise disappointed fans that they will “share more info about when and where matches will take place at a later date”.
On Monday, South Korea reported 161 more cases of the virus in the city of Daegu, bringing the nation’s total to 763 cases. They also confirmed a total of seven deaths due to the outbreak.
How Will Coronavirus Impact More Dates?
The league previously postponed matches scheduled for three cities in China this month. They have had to reschedule them for March due to the COVID-19 illness, which is caused by a newly identified coronavirus originating from Wuhan, China. The virus has infected tens of thousands and caused the deaths of 2,707 people worldwide so far.
Half of all Britons will be infected with Coronavirus unless it is brought under control, according to the UK government. Many Brits are still in quarantine, but the Government is claiming that the risk to individuals in the UK ‘remains low’.
Those matches, along with previously scheduled home dates for the Seoul Dynasty, have now been postponed.
Featured image credit: Overwatch League