ESL has announced that the upcoming ESL One Los Angeles Major has been postponed due to the worsening coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States.
ESL said that the decision to postpone the Major was also made in light of the 30-day travel restriction recently issued by U.S. president Donald Trump for travelers coming from European countries, except for the United Kingdom, to the U.S.
Three of the 16 participating teams in the Major are based in Europe, with a total of eight players coming from the countries affected by the travel restriction.
ESL added that they are working closely with Valve to determine a new time and location for the Major.
“While we were very excited to bring the first ever Dota 2 Major to Los Angeles, the safety and well-being of our players, attendees, coaches, partners, and ESL staff must come first […] We are deeply disappointed but believe that this outcome is in the best interest of all of the people who make these incredible events possible,” ESL said in a statement.
Esports insider Rod “Slasher” Breslau first broke the news that the Los Angeles Major has been postponed, saying in a tweet posted hours before the official announcement that ESL and Valve have already told the teams and casters attending the event that it will be fully canceled.
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The Los Angeles Major was originally scheduled to be held from March 15-22, with the Main Event of the competition from March 20-22 to be held live at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
There would have been 80 players from the 16 different teams in attendance throughout the event, alongside coaches, team personnel, broadcast talent, and production crew. The Shrine Auditorium was also expected to host a live audience of around 6,000 fans throughout the Main Event.
ESL had previously mulled holding the Major without a live audience in order to protect the health and safety of all those in the event.
The news comes after the worsening pandemic prompted the unexpected suspension of the NBA, which preceded the issuance of travel restrictions.
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