Novel Coronavirus outbreak in China prompts Blizzard to cancel Overwatch league matches

Last month, what started out as a number of strange cases in Wuhan, China, wherein people suddenly contracted pneumonia from unknown causes turned out to be a new virus. Dubbed the Novel Coronavirus (also known as nCov, 2019-nCov) has now become a full-blown epidemic The Chinese government as already issued travel advisories and quarantined the cities that were greatly affected. Many countries have already restricted travel to and from China, which is why Blizzard confirmed the cancellation of several scheduled Overwatch League matches that would have been hosted there.

The temporary rain check will reportedly be in effect for the next two months according to the publisher, confirmed Kotaku. A social media post likewise provided information as to why the competition was halted. Originally, these were slated to begin next month and continue all the way up to March. These matches were supposed to take place in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Foshan.

Given that there is currently no known cure or vaccine that can combat the Novel Coronavirus, the Chinese Overwatch League teams likewise took precautionary measures to safeguard its staff and players. The most recent update reveals that most are already in South Korea. The biggest unknown right now is when exactly medical experts and researchers can come up with a cure or prevent further infections.

"We have decided to cancel our February and March matches in China in order to protect the health and safety of our players, fans, and staff. We hope fans have a safe and happy Lunar New Year, and we remain incredibly excited to play Overwatch league matches in China later this season," wrote Blizzard Entertainment.

For now, "Overwatch" fans can only wait until the official channels release a new statement that will hopefully include updates as to venue and schedules. Perhaps, the best news that the public wants to hear about is how the Novel Coronavirus was eradicated. It is too early to determine if the cancelled Overwatch League matches will be rescheduled and hosted by another country until the whole thing blows over. 2020 marks the tournament's third season with up to 20 international teams vying to become the world champion.