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The ESL One Los Angeles Major was already delayed due to coronavirus concerns, but Valve has also decided today to cancel the next set of Dota Pro Circuit events to keep players, staff, and fans safe.
This means that both the OGA Dota PIT Minor 2020 and EPICENTER Major 2020 will be canceled with no plans to reschedule or fill the gap on the DPC circuit leading up to The International 2020.
Valve is making this move to encourage players and fans from traveling to tournaments while the coronavirus outbreak is ongoing. Removing two more DPC events is going to keep teams from having to travel, while also giving fans who did plan to attend a chance to refund their tickets.
“After careful consideration of the current state and trajectory of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, as well as the health risk that this presents to competitors, staff and fans alike, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 4th minor and major tournaments of the DPC season,” Valve said. “Given the high fluidity of the state of both the pandemic and geopolitical landscape, we will keep following the situation and decide how to approach the final major and minor of the season as the weeks progress.”
The Dota PIT Minor was scheduled to begin on April 23, with qualifiers starting up at the beginning of next month. This essentially provides teams a dead period until the end of May when qualifiers for the fifth and final Major of the season would begin.
Valve has made it clear that it is watching the situation carefully and is more than ready to cancel events early if the situation isn’t safe for fans and players. The ONE Esports Singapore Major 2020 and the currently unannounced fifth Minor could very well be canceled if the coronavirus threat hasn’t diminished by April.
