The next season of ESL Pro League is set to be played online, according to a recent announcement from the official ESL Twitter.
In order to ensure the safety of players, fans and our crew in the current global dynamics, Season 11 of #ESLProLeague will be played entirely online and the finals will be moved from Denver to a studio location.
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 11, 2020
Full details: https://t.co/qBdmv0QjSj pic.twitter.com/rhT6awYDEQ
Earlier today, the ESA also announced the cancelation of E3 2020 due to the same health concerns.
The finals were originally set to be played in Denver, Colorado at the 1STBANK Center. It will now be moved to a studio location in Europe and broadcasted online.
Their decision was motivated by the country of Malta instituting a range of travel bans and quarantine regulations. These restrictions have made it nearly impossible for much of the ESL and associated staff and teams to make it to the originally planned location.
Teams will have to conduct all matches from their homes, team houses, or other suitable locations around Europe. ESL will provide the European servers for the matches to be played on.
As per the official ESL announcement, “the big majority of teams are already in Europe as we speak. All of the teams and the CSPPA have been extremely supportive and teams are offering their facilities and boot camp locations to fellow players coming in from other countries and we are doing everything we can to provide the safest environment.”
If you already purchased your tickets for the Season 11 Finals, ESL will be offering full-refunds through 1STBANK Center at a later date.
