ESL Pro League Season 11 Finals Move from Denver Due to Coronavirus
The latest talk is that there will be a 30-day travel ban to/from Europe, due to the coronavirus pandemic. That could always extend, and we don’t know anything for sure. Since the ESL has no idea what’s coming in the next few months, they made a significant announcement regarding the finals.
A Change in Plans
Because of the coronavirus, the ESL Pro League Season 11 finals for CS:GO will move from Denver to a studio in Europe. Representatives from the organizations and CS:GO Professional Players Association will provide training spaces for those scheduled to come to America.
“In light of the current dynamics regarding COVID-19, we have made the decision to play the regular season matches of ESL Pro League Season 11 online, and are moving the finals from 1STBANK CENTER, Denver to a studio location without a live audience in Europe,” ESL said in an official statement.
They went on to say that “This decision was largely motivated by the fact that Malta, the country of our originally planned studio location, has instituted a wide range of travel restrictions and quarantine regulations as of today. We fully support all measures aimed at containing the COVID-19 dynamics as much as possible. These travel restrictions have made it impossible for a large amount of staff and the majority of teams to make their way to the planned season location.”
The upcoming matches will take place from home, team houses, or suitable boot camp locations in Europe. Dedicated online servers is another option, so the matches will go on as planned. One thing to consider is that many of the teams are already in Europe. So, the CS:GO Professional Players Association providing space for players in America is a great idea. That way, nobody must suffer, and matches will be as fair as possible.
People who purchased tickets for the finals will see refunds, with further instructions on the way from 1STBANK Center. With the coronavirus spreading, several leagues and events moved their matches online or sequestered in a studio with no fans.
The rival CS:GO League Flashpoint canceled its Stockholm championship event. All matches will take place in Los Angeles. We hate to see how much the novel coronavirus has disrupted the esports landscape but knowing that the ESL Pro League Finals will still go on is brilliant.
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