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Valve and Epic have announced the respective cancellation of the Counter-Strike Spring Major and the Fortnite World Cup in 2021 due to the pandemic.
With the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc around the world, Epic Games and Valve have officially canceled several of their in-person event lineups for 2021, including Epic’s. Fortnite Competitive events and Valve’s Counter-strike Spring Major is scheduled for May 2021, and the Fall Major in person is still scheduled for November. The announcement is a huge blow to competitive players who rely on Major League Baseball and Fortnite The lucrative World Cup prizes, but not surprising given the current climate.
The COVID-19 pandemic has already greatly affected gaming tournaments, along with countless major public events, in 2020 since the initial closures began in earnest in March, but there was a prevailing public opinion that the pandemic would end by the end of the year. Valve’s Two 2021 Counter-strike The Majors began accepting proposals in May 2019, long before the pandemic began in earnest, and they remained on Valve’s agenda after the shutdowns began, although the 2020 Majors were canceled. Meanwhile, Epic did not make an announced confirmation on whether a Fortnite The World Cup would occur in 2021 after the 2020 World Cup was canceled as a direct result of the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases. When the pandemic apparently peaked in late summer, and with vaccine development taking promising steps, it looked like 2021 would be a return to some degree of normalcy, enough to allow for more in-person events, as previously believed.
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But a recent spike in COVID-19 cases that resulted in tripling or even quadrupling the numbers seen during the summer peak has brought with it a new wave of restrictions. Despite a potential vaccine going into production later this month, Epic Games has decided not to make its presentation in person instead. Fortnite World Cup 2021, and the company will not resume any events in person until it is decidedly safe to do so. Meanwhile, Valve announced to the tournament organizers via email (as reported by Eurogamer) that he Counter-strike Spring Major has been canceled, although the developer did not confirm that the pandemic was the cause. The Fall Major is still tentatively on the agenda for November 2021, with an unknown location and partner already lined up.
The good news is that for Fortnite at least the online events keep going. the Fortnite The Champion Series will not be affected by the cancellations, with FNCS Chapter 2 – Season 5 slated to begin on February 4. Valve has yet to make specific announcements to the public as to which online events, if any, may take place in lieu of 2021. Spring Major. Presumably, if the pandemic shows signs of abating, the Fall Major will go ahead as long as it is reasonably safe to do so.
The announcement is without a doubt depressing for those who were hoping for a return to normalcy, after the longest and most difficult year that many have endured. But gaming studios responsible for big events bear a greater responsibility for the health and safety of their participants and employees. Valve and Epic Games are doing their part to help mitigate another wave, however disappointing, so that cancellations like these are not the new normal going forward.
Source: Epic Games, Eurogamer
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