As the threat of a global pandemic grows, FLASHPOINT has formally announced that its first edition of its competitive league has been relocated entirely to Los Angeles. The news comes as little surprise, as more and more events are being postponed, relocated, or outright cancelled due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, known also as the coronavirus.
In its formal statement, FLASHPOINT reveals that after a brief period of consultation with the Counter-Strike Professional Players' Association (CSPPA), the decision was made to cancel the playoffs in Stockholm in April, and to instead shift the focus entirely to one central location in Los Angeles.
In order to make the tournament as safe as possible rather than simply cancel the event, FLASHPOINT organizers will be implementing a series of concessions. Policies will be put into place to keep players and employers safe by limiting travel and contact with each other and fans.
These conditions have not yet been outlined, but we can likely expect to see limited or no interaction with fans, with post-win celebrations kept to a minimum.
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Other major organizations have made similar decisions in the past few days. EA recently announced that the Apex Legends Global Series Major 1 (ALGS) has been postponed and various FIFA tournaments have either been delayed or cancelled. NetherRealm Studios also decided at the last minute to cancel its live audience event for Final Kombat 2020 for Mortal Kombat 11, which was taking place this weekend, as well as a Last Chance Qualifier. Only the top sixteen competitors will be allowed at the live event tomorrow.
As worries over the spread of the coronavirus continue to grow, we will no doubt be seeing other events face similar challenges. Luckily, there is an alternative in the form of online play, which could be used in the short-term to help with qualifying events until live tournaments are again safe to attend.
For now, FLASHPOINT is still set to begin on March 13 at 11 AM following the group selection show the day before. A total of twelve teams will compete for the $1 million price pool. Hopefully, the event goes down without any issues. However, there is still the possibility of a complete event cancellation in the coming days if the situation worsens.