When the coronavirus first appeared no one could've expected that it would become a pandemic the likes of which no one has ever seen in the last century. As the virus began spreading around the globe in only a matter of weeks, it became clear that long-standing traditions and ways of life would have to be drastically altered in order to curb the virus' spread.
With social distancing being the best way to halt the virus's transmission, many social events have been canceled, with gaming events being some of the first to go. Below are just ten of some of the most anticipated gaming events of 2020 that have been canceled due to the virus. Hopefully, they can be rescheduled for a later date in the year or in 2021 after the virus no longer poses such a big threat to public health and safety.
10 Game Developers Conference
Held every year since 1988, the Game Developers Conference is an event that brings together the people that make this all possible. It brings together many different key players in the industry to deliberate some of the biggest problems and challenges in gaming, as well as solutions to them, making it an event that is crucial for the development of new, groundbreaking innovations in gaming. Originally scheduled for March, the coronavirus outbreak forced the conference to be postponed to an unspecified date later in the summer.
9 The Intel World Open
The Intel Open World was a new sports tournament promising a Capcom's Street Fighter V: Champion Edition tournament as well as a Psyonix's Rocket League tournament. Contestants would've been given the chance to represent their countries against rival players from all around the world, but unfortunately, this new event has been postponed until 2021, much to the disappointment of gamers all over the globe.
8 League Of Legends Championship Series
For exactly a decade now, the League of Legends Championship Series has brought together some of the best League of Legends players in North America, all with the hopes of qualifying for the League of Legends World Championships held later that year.
Due to the pandemic, these events haven't been outright canceled, but will merely progress without spectators, which means that the winners won't be able to have those hours they poured into this game recognized by thousands, while the usual audience won't be able to experience what some of the best players can do with the game's layered mechanics.
7 Apex Legends Global Series
The Apex Legends Global Series boasts an impressive $3 million in prize money for those who come out on top in a handful of tournaments in the extremely popular battle royale game that nearly rivaled Fortnite.
Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, live events were suspended until the situation improves. At the rate it's being handled now, players can rest assured that they'll have to stick to proving their skills and advanced combat strategies in the online arena until a new date for this event is established.
6 Pound 2020
While Super Smash Bros. has always been a fun franchise to play with friends, it's become a very competitive title, and with every new game that's released, players strive to discover their preferred character and test their own skills against other top-tier players. Pound 2020 was a Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament that was scheduled to take place in early April, but was canceled due to the coronavirus.
There are no definite plans if any events will be held later in the year once this pandemic is under control, but one thing's for certain; players won't be seeing any epic rage quits anytime soon.
5 Minecraft Festival
Originally scheduled for September 2020, Minecraft Festival was an event that promised live entertainment, panels, and an exhibit hall where players could snag some exclusive merchandise.
This event promised Minecraft fans the chance to connect with one another in person in September, but due to the recent coronavirus outbreak, the event was canceled for this year and will instead be resumed next year.
4 TwitchCon Amsterdam
With social distancing becoming the new normal for many people around the world, streaming platforms won't be going anywhere in the near future. TwitchCon promised fans an opportunity to connect with some of their favorite streamers in the world of gaming, while also promising streamers a chance to grow their brands and learn how to improve their streams.
While the event in San Diego is slated to take place at the end of September this year, the Amsterdam event, which would've occurred in early May, was canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus, marking the first time a TwitchCon event was ever canceled since the first one was held in 2014.
3 FIFA 20 Global Series
The FIFA Global Series has given loyal soccer (or football depending on the country) players the chance to go head to head with competitors in the insanely popular sports game for the chance to win the FIFA eWorld Cup, which currently holds the record for the largest online eSports gaming event.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus outbreak has suspended the 2020 series, meaning that players won't be able to compete in such a historic event this year.
2 Pokémon Championship Series
Despite how many Pokémon are created throughout the years, this insanely popular franchise is continuing to grow and attract new generations with each release. The many tournaments and events that complement new title releases are a big part in this growing fan base, but coronavirus has led to the cancellation of the Pokémon Championship Series for 2020.
While the event will pick back up in 2021, fans won't get the opportunity to test and trade the pocket monsters that they recently caught in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.
1 E3 2020
E3, otherwise known as Electronic Entertainment Expo, is perhaps the biggest event in modern gaming since the first one was held in 1995. It's only been 3 years since this extremely important event was open to the public, becoming the first place to get the latest news concerning upcoming consoles and trailers for videogames that quickly developed cult followings after their initial releases. Unfortunately, the 2020 event was canceled completely, with the next event being scheduled for June of 2021, which means that gamers will have to wait a year for the biggest, most anticipated event in modern gaming!
While the coronavirus has disrupted many facets of ordinary life, if protecting the health of thousands of gamers means that these events (and others) must be canceled and postponed, it's worth it.