NetherRealm Studios' Mortal Kombat 11 is at the forefront of eSports news this weekend thanks to the Final Kombat tournament taking place in Chicago, Illinois on March 8; an event that will also feature the first gameplay trailer for Mortal Kombat 11's DLC character Spawn. However, the studio announced over Twitter that there will no longer be a live audience at the event, and the "Last Chance Qualifier" being held in Skokie, Illinois tomorrow will also be canceled.
These changes come "due to the escalating concerns and cautions" around the coronavirus according to NetherRealm Studios, a disease outbreak which has also led to events like the 2020 Game Developers Conference being postponed. Fears of the virus that the World Health Organization (WHO) says infected over 2,800 new people in the last 24 hours via their daily situation report has also led to companies like Bungie requesting their employees work from home.
The fighting game tournament will still be held and live streamed globally across "all Mortal Kombat 11 channels" according to NetherRealm's post, where they say "the health and safety of our players, fans and staff will continue to be our top priority as we work through this challenging time." Those who have already purchased tickets for the event can email mk@intersportnet.com before March 13 to receive a refund.
The announcement has received backlash from fans, who say it was made so late that many will have already traveled to Illinois to take part in both events, whereas companies like Nvidia canceled their GPU Technology Conference a few weeks in advance. Warner Bros. Games Support has been actively commenting on multiple replies to the post on Twitter emphasizing that those who "purchased tickets and have incurred noncancelable/nonrefundable" travel charges can also reach out to be refunded.
Despite the game being popular and continuing to receive DLC fighters, Mortal Kombat 11 has had a somewhat rocky year in terms of its public endeavors. In February it was announced that the fighting game staple would not be a part of EVO 2020's main lineup.
However, it will still undoubtedly continue to retain players thanks to the upcoming Spawn DLC and other balance patches being implemented over time. Image Comics' Spawn received a teaser trailer yesterday, and his official gameplay reveal will still be a part of Final Kombat 2020 — even if fans will not get to see it in person.
Mortal Kombat 11 is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: WHO COVID-19 Situation Report 46