Overwatch League’s Toronto Defiant cancels first-ever homestand event due to COVID-19

Toronto Defiant’s first-ever live Overwatch event has been cancelled.

OverActive Media, the owner of the Toronto team, has cancelled the event due to COVID-19.

President and CEO Chris Overholt had this to say about the homestand event:

“We have been closely monitoring COVID-19 developments nationally and globally, and are in regular contact with our League partner regarding our planned Overwatch League event in Toronto next month. In partnership with Activision Blizzard — in the spirit of acting responsibly and with an abundance of caution for our players and fans alike — we have decided to cancel our Toronto Defiant Homestand that was scheduled for April 17-19 at Roy Thomson Hall. As the league announced today, the remaining March and April matches will be played online.

While we are no longer going ahead with an exceptional live esports experience in Toronto in April, our organization is shifting focus to prepare for our live event in August, as we continue to tell our story and promote our players and Defiant brand to Torontonians and Canadians at large.”

The third season of the Overwatch League that started earlier this year switched to homestand events. These live e-sports homestand events allow fans from all over the world to watch their favourite teams live, instead of having to travel to the Blizzard Arena in Burbank, California or watching online.

Canada’s first-ever homestand event was to occur at Roy Thomson Hall, but now Torontonians will have to wait until August.

Hopefully, that event doesn’t get cancelled as well.

Unfortunately, the Overwatch League isn’t doing so well due to the coronavirus. Earlier today, it was announced that the first-ever Paris homestand event was also cancelled. Additionally, teams from Asia, such as the Shanghai Dragons, Seoul Dynasty and Guangzhou Charge, have not yet had the opportunity to play.