Ryan Goodrich
Such a shame. The ESL One Los Angeles Dota 2 Major was scheduled to take place March 20-22 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. But now the event has been cancelled for that location and otherwise postponed. Word first started circulating by esports journalist Rod “Slasher” Breslau when he first alluded to the cancellation. Then came a Weibo post by Invictus Gaming Dota 2 player Hu “kaka” Liangzhi, which confirmed Breslau’s tweet.
What’s the word: Breslau first tweeted, “Valve and ESL have confirmed to teams and casters that the Dota 2 Los Angeles Major will be fully cancelled, sources tell me.” He also tweeted that sources indicated directly that it was because of the European travel ban instituted by U.S. President Donald Trump that the cancellation occurred. Commented Liangzhi, “I can’t believe it, we tried so hard to go to this place for 14 days, but it (Major) cancelled.”
Who is affected by the ban: The ban was first instituted to prevent people from traveling to the U.S. from countries currently dealing with the Coronavirus epidemic. The ban precludes teams from Europe from traveling to the United States for a period of 30 days. This means that Team Secret, OG, and Ninjas in Pyjamas (who are all based in Europe) won’t be allowed to enter the U.S.
From the horse’s mouth: ELS Dota’s official Twitter account chimed in afterward that the major had indeed been cancelled in Los Angeles. But they also clarified that the event would be played elsewhere at a later date. When and where have yet to be disclosed.
These are all necessary and smart moves to help curb the rate of spreading the Coronavirus. But that doesn’t make it any easier to cope with the lack of tournaments and gaming events. Need… games… to watch…
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