Mentioned in this article
League/Tournament Brands:
Tournament organizer ESL has announced that Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice will have no on-site attendance. According to a statement from ESL, both the Spodek-Arena and IEM Expo will not allow on-site audience, due to the organizer’s mass event license being revoked last-minute by the governor of the Silesia Province, Jarosław Wieczorek.
One of the largest annual esports events, IEM Katowice last year saw an in-person attendance of 174K, up from 169K in 2018. The event hosts high stakes tournaments for multiple games including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and StarCraft II.
“ESL respects this decision from the local authorities and is currently working on reaching out to all ticket holders, guests, and media,” the statement reads. “Tickets will be fully refunded. The tournament will be conducted and broadcasted as planned, but without any additional visitors on-site. We are deeply sorry for all fans and players.”
While the statement does not specifically mention novel coronavirus, the disease has caused numerous delays and cancellations throughout the esports and gaming space in recent weeks.
The Esports Observer is on-site this weekend in Katowice, and will continue to report on this news as it develops.
