Although a number of big esports and gaming events across the world are being cancelled or closed to the public to prevent the spread of coronavirus, ESL has confirmed that its ESL One Dota 2 Major is expected to go ahead later this month in Los Angeles.
The tournament organiser, which was forced to hold the playoffs at IEM Katowice behind closed doors last week, says that the event is currently “safe to attend” for Dota 2 fans, although the company – together with the local authorities – will re-evaluate that decision if the situation in California changes.
“We are in close contact with the local authorities, and if there is any reason to suggest that the event is not perfectly safe we will re-evaluate and react to the new situation,” ESL says in a statement on its website. “As of now, the venue, the authorities, and ESL evaluate the event to be safe to attend.”
However, in the last 48 hours, according to CNBC, six new cases of coronavirus have been detected in the county, prompting the local authorities to declare a state of emergency to unlock federal funds to help tackle the outbreak.
To protect players, fans, and staff, ESL says it plans to hire more trained medical staff and place additional hygiene stations around the event for people to use. This is similar to the company’s plans for IEM Katowice before it was closed to the public.
The ESL One Dota 2 Major is scheduled to take place on March 20-22 at the Shrine Auditorium.
