MSI 2020 postponed due to growing concern over coronavirus
The League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational is the latest esports event to be delayed due to the coronavirus.
In a statement on
Twitter, Riot’s global head of esports, John Needham, addressed the virus’ ongoing threat to travelers.
“As countries around the world respond to the coronavirus, we’ve had to adjust our plans and delay announcing the timing and location of MSI 2020,” Needham told League of Legends fans. “While we remain committed to making the event happen, the health and safety of players and fans comes first and foremost, with the integrity of the competition a close second.”
He then thanked fans for their patience and stated that he will keep everyone updated with new information once it comes.
Surprisingly, many of the responses to the update were negative, with fans sarcastically noting that Riot had essentially given an update with no updated information. Still, others felt that MSI should just be canceled completely for the safety of the people involved, even if it means a lack of international competition until later in the year.
MSI was not the first League of Legends event to be impacted by the threat of the coronavirus.
The LPL announced a delay
mid-January after the World Health Organization deemed the virus “high risk” for not just China, but the world. The LPL may not begin until May, with test games soon to be played online. The LCK Spring Split was not delayed, but the matches are being played in front of an empty arena due to health concerns.
Riot has announced that the World Championship
will be held in China
this year, so hopefully the coronavirus is under control by the time Finals is set to head to Shanghai.
The Overwatch League was another global esport affected by the coronavirus. The new 2020 schedule has matches held around the world, but games that were to be hosted by teams in China and Korea were
canceled due to the health threat.
Blizzard refunded fans who purchased tickets and stated that the matches would be rescheduled.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
View full profile
Read Also
League of Legends
Hanwha Life Esports vs LYON: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 MSI lower bracket final will see Hanwha Life Esports take on LYON. Here’s our complete betting analysis and betting picks. After T1’s upset loss at the ongoing MSI tournament, G2 Esports was the next team to fall before reaching the lower bracket final. LYON looked extremely good against the LEC team, but does it have what it takes to take down arguably the strongest LCK team currently? Tournament: ...
League of Legends
G2 Esports proves that T1 has an over-reliance problem
Hannan Mundia
The MSI match between G2 Esports and T1 proved that the LCK powerhouse needs to take a good look at its strategy. For years now, the LCK has been a dominant force in the competitive League of Legends space. While the LCP has occasionally come close to the number one spot, that hasn’t been the case for long. In particular, T1 is easily the biggest name in the scene, especially ...
Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule
Hannan Mundia
The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Esports Betting
Team Secret Whales stun Top Esports as LCP finally breaks the East’s Bo5 wall
Wasif Ahmed
In the first massive upset of the tournament, Team Secret Whales beat Top Esports to kick them out of the lower bracket of MSI 2026. This is Asia-Pacific’s first ever Bo5 win against the East since the creation of the leagues in 2013. Now, only Bilibili Gaming is left for the LPL and the power rankings are all mixed up. TSW didn’t just beat TES, they completely outclassed them. Kicking ...
Esports Betting
Karmine Corp is the third LEC team to go winless against major regions at MSI
Wasif Ahmed
With their 0-3 defeat against Team Liquid, Karmine Corp is now the third LEC team to bomb out of the Mid-Season Invitational without taking a single game off of the top four regions. Before them were MAD Lions in 2023 and G2 Esports’ infamous debut run in 2016. NA, on the other hand, has only once gone winless against major regions. Karmine Corp's MSI 2026 run included taking down the ...
Esports Betting
G2 Esports reverse sweeps Top Esports at MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
It starts with success, and Fnatic is now avenged. G2 Esports started the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational by beating Top Esports 3-2. After starting the series 0-2, they managed to pull off the first reverse sweep in main stage MSI history. The 2026 Mid-Season Invitational started with seven back-to-back 3-0 series. G2 finally broke that streak by beating TES in five games. In doing so, they also broke a much longer-standing ...
Esports Betting
Why are ranged top laners so common in League of Legends?
Wasif Ahmed
In League of Legends Season 2026, top lane has been filled with ranged champions. Outside of the usual few, marksmen and even control mages have found a new home in top. This change in meta is much to the displeasure of players who prefer facing tanks and bruisers. Why did ranged top laners become so frequent and how does one beat them? LoL has always had a few ranged characters ...
