FLASHPOINT is another name that has fallen victim to the COVID-19 cancellations. The CS:GO tournament provider has announced they will cancel their Stockholm event, in favour of a smaller venue in Los Angeles. Although, this is the only major change FLASHPOINT has announced so far.
FLASHPOINT has collaborated with the CSPPA, the Counter-strike Professional Players’ Association to determine the best course of action. COVID-19, aka the coronavirus, has made widespread cancellations for esports events. With the risk of the virus spreading increasing every day, particularly with the current spread of the virus in Europe, the organiser has changed the venue.
Instead, FLASHPOINT will host FLASHPOINT 1 in Los Angeles, California. The official statement states that it is in the best interests of the health of fans, players and staff alike. The Los Angeles venue will have greater security, with the event being labelled as a ‘controlled environment’. This will allow for stronger security policies and better practices to protect all those attending.
FLASHPOINT 1 is not the first event in CS:GO to be affected by COVID-19. Last week, the IEM Katowice Finals was shut to the public, after the Katowice mayor shut the event for safety concerns. In addition, six events in esports and gaming have been cancelled today, and we are still counting. With no end in sight, esports in 2020 continues to be plagued by the coronavirus.
There is one positive spin to this story. Unlike other esports events, FLASHPOINT did not announce that Stockholm was the original host of the FLASHPOINT 1 LAN final. Compared to other events, there has been no collateral damage to fans.
FLASHPOINT also states they still intend on taking FLASHPOINT across the globe. This will happen once the COVID-19 spread has calmed down.
FLASHPOINT 1 playoffs will begin sometime in April. On the 5th March, the final open qualifiers finalised, with BIG and Orgless taking the two LAN spots available, In addition, there are still more founder league teams to be confirmed. Keep an eye on FLASHPOINT as they continue to announce more news on their inaugural season.
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