Valve cancels upcoming Dota Pro Circuit tournaments due to the coronavirus

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The fourth minor and major tournaments won't be going ahead.

(Image credit: Valve)

The coronavirus outbreak continues to chip away at the Dota Pro Circuit schedule, with Valve now cancelling Dota 2's fourth minor and major tournaments of the season due to health concerns. This follows the postponement of ESL One Los Angeles last week.

The fourth qualifier, OGA Dota PIT Minor 2020 and Epicenter Major were all due to take place over the next couple of months, but as more governments start to recommend people stay away from large gatherings, esports tournaments seem particularly risky. The tournaments would have been in Split, where there haven't been any recorded cases of COVID-19, and Moscow, where there have been several. 

The fifth and final set of tournaments are due to begin on May 17, with the fifth qualifier, followed by two tournaments in June. There's no consensus on when, exactly, the cornavirus will be contained, so Valve might have to cancel those tournaments as well. 

In a follow-up tweet, Valve said it would "keep following the situation and decide how to approach the final major and minor of the season as the weeks progress."

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Fraser Brown
Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.