The awaited 2020 LCK Spring split has announced massive changes. The event will not include the LCK media day. Instead, the players will answer all questions virtually. It is all due to the coronavirus outbreak. The disease is spreading. Various countries all around the world have detected it. Riot Korea has decided to put people’s health and safety first by taking full precautions.
Although there were reports of only 4 cases of the virus in Korea, Riot Korea is taking no chances. The LCK spring will initiate, according to schedule, on 5th February. But it will not entertain the live audience, as the risk of the virus is at its peak currently.
Media Reports On LCK Media Day
An Inven reporter stated the following,
“Riot Korea says preventive measures were needed to protect the health and safety of athletes, visitors, and officials,”
There is also an official twitter tweet by Mond that supports this further,
“LCK will be held without an audience. This decision is made as the situation has been rapidly changing recently due to the new coronavirus. Riot Korea says preventive measures were needed to protect the health and safety of athletes, visitors, and officials.”
LCK will be held without audience. This decision is made as the situation has been rapidly changing recently due to the new coronavirus. Riot Korea says preventive measures were needed to protect the health and safety of athletes, visitors and officials. (1/2) https://t.co/oiThO1wUXZ
— Mond (@Fomos_Mond) January 29, 2020
Korean Riots did state previously that there would be news regarding delaying LSK Spring Split this year. This tweet confirms that they have taken an alternative solution.
Similar Situations In The Past
It is not the first time the Korean Esports has to face such a situation. The officials of Star league were in a similar dilemma due to the infection MERS. The disease was responsible for the death of 36 people in South Korea alone. They had to move the grand finale to a different place for the competition to continue. So, the participants were moved to Seoul, Korea, at an arena named Nexon. They also dealt with this epidemic by having no live audience, or a large number of people around. It ultimately helped avoid the risk of exposure to the deadly disease.
Coronavirus
The coronavirus epidemic was first detected last December in Wuhan, China. It is the fastest spreading virus of 2020, claiming the lives of 130 people already. China has declared full lockdown of the country, as cases of this virus have flared up to 5,900 and are still increasing. The Chinese government is taking crucial action in defense, and have announced no exit from the country until the situation is over.
The League of Legends also stopped during the competition due to this plague. The biggest tournament of League of Legends is LPL. This event was returning for another season after the Chinese New year. However, there will be a delay due to the virus. The foreign teams have reported having left China, and not intending to return until the threat of coronavirus disappears.
Situation Elsewhere
Other countries, however, aren’t facing such an extreme eruption of coronavirus. There are only four cases reported of this virus in South Korea, yet they are taking many preventive measures. They detain all the passengers departing from Wuhan. These passengers are required to take medical examinations to get into the country. They are only let in if they do not show any signs or symptoms of the virus. The government has seen over 28 suspected cases, and 3000 travelers, and will continue to do so with a rigorous process.
Bottom Line
The LCK media day is an engaging event for all supporters, as they get a chance to question directly and hear responses from groups live. It seems this year, due to the right decisions, the fans must sacrifice this chance and enjoy the season as it is.
