Acer Predator has announced that this year’s Dota 2 Asia-Pacific (APAC) Predator League, originally scheduled to take place from February 19-23 in the Philippines, has been postponed due to the ongoing Coronavirus epidemic in the region.

Acer Predator announced the postponement in a statement on its official Facebook page, adding that the event has been tentatively rescheduled for June or July later this year.

The tournament’s organizer stressed that the decision was made “in the interest of the health and well-being of the tournament’s competitors, spectators, and staff during this period.”

The APAC Predator League featured 12 teams from all over Southeast Asia, with 11 qualifying from different countries in the region while its top team, TNC Predator, was given a direct invite.

The Coronavirus outbreak has also affected the Dota Pro Circuit, as it has caused the Chinese qualifiers for the ESL One Los Angeles Major to be postponed.

As many as 28 countries have been affected by the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, including the Philippines, the host country for this year’s APAC Predator League.

The first death from coronavirus outside of China — where the epicenter of the epidemic in the city of Wuhan is located — occurred in the Philippines on February 2, as reported by CNN.

The ongoing epidemic has severely affected a growing number of other esports leagues and tournaments set in the APAC region, such as the League of Legends leagues in China and South Korea, and the Chinese homestands for the Overwatch League, to name a few.

READ MORE: WESG cancels APAC Finals due to coronavirus epidemic