At this point, you know about the COVID-19 Coronavirus, so no introduction seems apt. Nerd Street Gamers has announced that they’ll be shutting down a high number of their in-person esports events due to concerns over the virus.
If you’re unfamiliar with Nerd Street, the organization is known for putting a variety of esports events on the map. They don’t stick to any single game and organize a good number of events across multiple IPs.
Unfortunately, the team feels it necessary to follow the example set by many others in the gaming community at the moment and have rescheduled, postponed, or canceled five separate events between now and mid-April.
“You want to be healthy, and we want you to stay healthy. So we’re sending you this note to let you know what we’re doing in response to the COVID-19 virus outbreak,” the team writes in their announcement. “We have made changes to our existing events schedule to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. If any registered competitor is uncomfortable traveling or competing in person, please contact [support] for a ‘no questions asked’ refund.
COVID-19 Update from Nerd Street Gamers
Read: https://t.co/yTg81oA8Fj pic.twitter.com/oIzqcZP3Qa
— Nerd Street (@nerdstreet) March 12, 2020
The changes are affecting five different events, which are as follows:
March 21-22 Smashdown Major in Denver: The tournament is now capped at 150 competitors, and players are strongly encouraged to bring their own controllers. All equipment will be thoroughly cleaned before and after use.
March 21 Fortnite Minor in Denver: This event is being pushed back a week until March 28th.
April 11-12 Cheeseadelpha (Starcraft II) Major in Philly: Cheeseadelphia will now be played entirely online as an online-only Minor tournament.
April 17-19 Rainbow Six Siege Major in Philly: This event is also becoming an online-only Minor tournament.
April 18-19 CS: GO Major in Huntington Beach: The final event to be changed, this Major is also being moved to an online-only Minor tournament.
If there are any further changes, the team will let us know as soon as possible through their website and social media channels. They’re also encouraging the community to help keep the staff and customers safe through proper hygiene and staying at home if you aren’t feeling well.
In terms of the events that are being held, Nerd Street intends to adopt even more extensive cleaning protocols than what they already had in place. All surfaces and equipment will be cleaned repeatedly after every use and in between every match. They also strongly recommend that any competitors bring their own equipment, including keyboards, controllers, headsets, and other peripherals.
