Activision Blizzard has changed the way the Call of Duty League works in face of the COVID-19 outbreak. After cancelling all Overwatch League homestead matches, the company has announced that it’s also turning all CoD League live matches planned for 2020 into online-only events. The developer says it came to the decision after “careful review and working in close collaboration with [its] teams” and that it’s “continuing to closely monitor” the COVID-19 situation.
The Call of Duty League holds tournament-style events across the country hosted by participating teams in their cities. It’s clear that changes have to be made to ensure both the players’ and the spectators’ safety. The good news is that the online-only matches will still be livestreamed — if you’ll recall, the company teamed up with YouTube and made the platform its exclusive streaming partner. Activision Blizzard also promises to return to city-based competitions with live audiences “as soon as it is safe and logistically possible.”