2020 LPL Spring Split to resume in March amid coronavirus fears

The 2020 LPL Spring season is back after a six-week hiatus, and the action will resume on March 9.

On January 26, the LPL decided to postpone the activities due to the coronavirus outbreak in China. As the situation worsened in the country, fans started to wonder if the competition would take place at all. There were conversations about the Chinese teams missing the Mid-Season Invitational and possible repercussions in the 2020 World Championship.

Fans won’t have to worry anymore, as the officials decided to transition into an online format to keep the competition going. According to the announcement, teams are playing from their training facilities with on-site referees when possible. Players that are inside the quarantined provinces are allowed to play from home.

The players that are traveling to team facilities must go through a mandatory 14-day monitored quarantine. The teams are in charge of disinfecting the players and their belongings. All teams must meet local health requirements.

The season will be played online until the LPL gets the green light to open its esports facilities. It might prove to be difficult considering that the government is banning sports events until late in April. As for the World Championship, the Shanghai municipal government said that they’re getting ready for the event.

Trial and errors in the LPL

The LPL made the decision to transition into the online format after a test-run. The league organized a series of scrims between Top Esports, JD Gaming, Suning, eStar, and Victory Five. The small event was a success and gave the LPL the confidence it needed to resume the competition.

The league is well aware that there could be technical problems, the LPL is ready to handle those. The 2020 LPL Spring season will resume with full force. The Chinese broadcast is available on March 9, the English broadcast returns on March 15. All matches will be live on Twitch and Youtube.