The LEC, Europe’s major competitive league, has suspended the LEC Spring Split until further notice due to concerns over COVID-19. The news came just minutes before the broadcast of this weekend’s games was due to begin, in a tweet posted on the LEC’s official Twitter.
At the time of that post, the LEC’s official Twitch channel was already live, counting down to the start of the event. As the broadcast proper began, fans were greeted by LEC presenter Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere, who made an official statement on the postponement. In it, she echoed the words of the previous announcement, before the stream abruptly ended.
The postponement comes just a day after both the LEC and LCS announced they’d be playing the remainder of their Spring Splits without a live studio audience or press. With this announcement, the LEC becomes just the latest esports event to have fallen victim to the increasing wave of COVID-19 coronavirus related cancellations.
Esports journalist Rod “Slasher” Breslau, who previously provided details behind the postponement of the ESL One Los Angeles Major 2020 and the LCS and LEC’s decisions to continue behind closed doors offered additional information.
As reported by Slasher, Riot is continuing to consider all possible options in playing the LEC season without entirely cancelling, including playing matches online. Allegedly these contingencies including having talent and casters broadcast the game’s from a home location.
Earlier in the day, Schalke 04 Esports, the esports wing of FC Schalke 04 had announced that it’s Prime League players had been allowed to travel home from the team’s facility. The Prime League Pro Division is a lower division league based in Germany. In its announcement, Schalke explained they were attempting to extend this eventuality to it’s LEC players as well.
The LEC was set to play it’s eighth and penultimate week of the Spring split, leaving just 20 games to be played before the end of the season and the start of the finals. When these matches will now be played remains to be seen.
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