The coronavirus can alter the eSports landscape, but it won’t halt the action
The eSports industry has to take advantage of the possibility of playing competitions in online-only scenes due to the coronavirus, so the industry doesn’t stop completely. Even though there are series that have a portion of online-gaming only and some events are exclusively online, the main competitions take place in an arena in front of thousands of spectators and fans, giving support to their favorite teams. On April 10, the Call of Duty League will resume action for its online-only tournaments, able to continue without interference from COVID-19.
For now, the league is stepping away from live events and moving to online eSports tournaments to continue bringing entertainment to fans. According to the publisher, Activision, the online approach the company will implement, for now, is one that guarantees the safety of the global community. Back on March 12, the league announced a break so the series could be moved to an online-only model and Activision has finally established the schedule.
As of April 10, fans will be able to follow the competition from a full online production that will be broadcasted on YouTube.com/CODLeague. The regular season will continue with the same competition format. “I spent many years in the NFL and saw firsthand how sports can lift the human spirit,” said commissioner Johanna Faries in a statement. “No one wants to be in this situation, but we are, and we’re thankful that Call of Duty League can forge ahead and deliver live competition to fans when it’s probably needed most.”
This league has had a lot of action during this year before the outbreak of the coronavirus. Call of Duty introduced 12 city-based teams across four countries, with players facing each other in a fierce competition in front of thousands of fans.
