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Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty League has issued a statement that it will cancel all currently scheduled live Home Series events due to concerns regarding the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19. The league will move to an online format for the remainder of the season effective immediately. Matches will continue to be broadcast live.
“The COVID-19 crisis has posed incredibly serious challenges to so many people around the globe, and the Call of Duty League community has felt its impact as well,” said CDL commissioner in a statement. “The decision to shift upcoming live events to online competition was a difficult one for all of us, but done with the goal of ensuring the well-being of our incredible fans, players, coaches, employees, and partners. We plan to publish more information about upcoming online matches soon, still broadcast live on our YouTube channel.
We understand how disappointing this may be for fans who planned to attend upcoming live Home Series and we hope to be back in front of live audiences later this year. In the meantime, let’s continue to support our teams and players in doing what they do so well.”
Yesterday, the Overwatch League cancelled its live events for March and April, but no events beyond that point. The CDL also had Home Series tournaments scheduled for the remainder of its season, which have now been removed from the league website and official schedule.
The Activision Blizzard leagues will face significant challenges in moving to an online format. Teams have established their headquarters and practice facilities in their home cities, and attempting to play long distance matches would lead to poor quality matches and impact the competitive integrity of the season.
