LCK Spring Split indefinitely delayed after spike in coronavirus cases

The 2020 LCK Spring Split will be indefinitely postponed starting March 6.

The LCK is the latest victim of the coronavirus. The delay includes all LCK matches, Challengers Korea matches, as well as the additional content created for the Korean broadcast. The decision was made after a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in South Korea.

Riot Games took preemptive measures at the start of the season. All LCK matches have been played without an audience and the league recently restricted media access to LoL Park. Players and coaching staff are under constant supervision and must go through regular checkups. With the cares in South Korea more dire than it previously was, Riot Korea is now pulling the plug on the LCK entirely.

The break is scheduled for March 6 when the first half of the split comes to an end. At that point, each team will have 9 games played.

If the situation doesn’t improve in the coming weeks, it’s possible that the LCK will transition into an online format like the LPL. All LCK players are currently living in their teams’ headquarters and following the standard health protocols. Transitioning to an online format would likely be easier and quicker for the LCK than what was seen in the LPL, which was rocked by China’s intense travel restrictions.

The community can expect an announcement regarding the schedule soon. In the LPL, the league modified the schedule to pack more games into the same day. The LPL is scheduled to end by April 19. If the LCK ends up going online, a change in the schedule would make sense.

The future of the Mid-Season Invitational and the 2020 World Championship is currently uncertain. Riot Games is yet to announce a date and location for MSI, or share any new plans for Worlds. 

According to the Shanghai Municipal government, they’re working over time to ensure that Worlds is still taking place in China.