Riot Games has been forced to cancel Valorant gameplay capture sessions in Los Angeles and Barcelona over coronavirus concerns. A number of content creators, streamers, and professional players had been invited to the events, which were expected to go ahead in two weeks time, but the developer has cancelled them in order to “put players first.”
The developer, which lifted the lid on the highly anticipated first-person shooter on Monday, emailed the invitees earlier today confirming the events were cancelled. However, those invited will still be able to play the game from their home setups.
“It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to cancel our Valorant gameplay capture events in Los Angeles and Barcelona,” the email sent to streamers says according to a tweet by Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau. “Due to unforeseen circumstances surrounding COVID-19, as a company, we need to stand by our policy of putting players first.
“To be honest with you, this totally sucks. As integral members of the gaming community, we worked super hard to craft an experience to present our game and our story to you in the best environment possible. We are working hard on our side to put some finishing touches on a digital solution which will allow you to get your hands on the game from the comfort of your home setups.”
Riot has sent an email to pro players, streamers, creators cancelling the Valorant gameplay capture event due to concerns over coronavirus https://t.co/kIkMZ6GDOm pic.twitter.com/Q9lYqMD9RI
— Rod ‘I don’t sign NDAs’ Breslau (@Slasher) March 3, 2020
It’s not clear who was invited to either event, but a number of big names in the esports and streaming world are pretty excited to experience Riot’s new shooter. Braxton ‘swag’ Pierce ditched his Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team to prepare for the game, and Ali ‘Myth’ Kabbani said he “can’t wait” to play it this month.
But with the threat of coronavirus continuing to sweep the world, these content creators will have to make do without the swanky launch event and experience the game from home.
