Blizzard has cancelled all upcoming Overwatch events that were set to take place in China.
In a statement on Twitter (below) - via the Overwatch League account, the American publisher and developer confirmed that all matches in February and March were cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
To date, the virus has killed 170 people - the disease has spread to the US, Thailand, Australia and Japan. Other countries, such as Russia have closed its borders to prevent the virus from affecting its people.
"We have decided to cancel our February and March matches in China in order to protect the health and safety of our players, fans and staff," said the statement.
"We hope fans have a safe and happy Lunar New Year, and we remain incredibly excited to play Overwatch League matches in China later this season."
"We'll share more information about when and where the matches will take place at a later date."
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) January 30, 2020
Blizzard isn't the only company to cancel its events, The League of Legends Pro League event has also been pushed back to ensure the health and safety of all those involved.
In November 2019, a sequel to the much-loved multiplayer shooter was announced at Blizzcon 2019.
However, it came as no surprise due to leaks that were revealed in the lead up to the event. Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan claimed the leaks were demoralising, it left the team feeling deflated.
