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Dota 2 ESL One Los Angeles 2020 canceled due to coronavirus
The ESL One Los Angeles 2020 Dota 2 tournament has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was scheduled for 16 teams and a $1M prize pool. ESL will face losses.
Today, news broke that the highly anticipated Dota 2 major, ESL One Los Angeles 2020, has been canceled. The reason, mirroring yesterday's E3 2020 cancellation, is the COVID-19 pandemic.
The spring major was scheduled to run from March 15 to 22, featuring 16 teams, including powerhouses like NaVi and Virtus.Pro. It boasted a substantial $1,000,000 prize pool.
Currently, it's unclear what ESL's next move will be. Will they postpone the esports event indefinitely, or will the organizer opt for a full cancellation?
Esports can certainly thrive on online viewership alone, which generates substantial revenue. However, ESL had already invested heavily in the offline event. Recovering costs for hotel bookings, venue rental, and travel for players and staff will now be incredibly challenging.
