Similar to many other esports leagues right now, the League of Legends Oceanic Pro League (OPL) is moving its matches online. The OPL officially announced the news today on Twitter, stating that the rest of the split will take place online. The decision comes after the league opted to postpone matches meant to take place on Saturday, March 14.
=== OPL Split 1 Update ===
Following the postponement of last Saturday’s OPL games, the remaining Split 1 matches will be held online until further notice. Please refer to https://t.co/uayrQUxHcD for the latest fixtures information.
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— DoorDash LCO (@LCO) March 17, 2020
The OPL’s move is in response to the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Many esports events are facing cancellation, while ongoing competitive leagues are going online to prevent spreading the illness. The OPL stated that it would continue to monitor the situation and would update fans about any changes. The league also said it would be postponing its Recall and Restore round originally scheduled for this weekend.
In the meantime, the OPL’s new online schedule is viewable on the LoL Esports website.
The OPL following suit
The news regarding Oceania’s league changes follows an ongoing pattern throughout esports right now. Major events in the League of Legends community, such as the Mid-Season Invitational, are facing delays due to COVID-19. Additionally, the LCS and LCS Academy announced earlier today that the rest of their Spring Split would continue online. The League of Legends European Championship (LEC) is also following this online game plan.
Meanwhile, the CSGO community is in a similar position. Recently introduced competitive league Flashpoint will now be taking place entirely online for its inaugural season. Despite being months away, major gaming events like E3 are also canceling their plans in order to prevent COVID-19’s spread. One of the few exceptions at this time is Gamescom, which recently stated it still plans to host its late-August event.
For the time being, online competition is the gaming community’s best option for ensuring the health and safety of players and staff.
OPL matches will resume on Friday, March 20 with a game between Avant Gaming and Legacy Esports starting things off. Legacy currently holds the OPL’s second-place spot, while Avant sits in sixth. Keep an eye on Daily Esports for all your League of Legends updates.
