Electronic Arts Cancels All Live Competitions Amidst COVID-19 Scare

In an effort to contain the spread of the ill-effects of COVID-19 to the global gaming community, Electronic Arts (EA) has decided to cancel all live competitions of its games until the publisher – and the world – sees a ray of hope pierce through the smog brought about by the virus.

The temporary shutdown will be applicable to all EA-operated and third-party organized competitive gaming series such as the “Apex Legends” Global Series, EA Sports “FIFA 20” Global Series, “FIFA” Online 4 Live Events and the “Madden NFL 20” Championship Series, said IGN.

Online events and those produced by individuals in remote locations will still push through and won't be affected by the cancellation, the outlet added.

EA meanwhile updated its fans on their effort to shield their employees from COVID-19 while at the same time, making their health and safety their top priority.

“We've been constantly assessing risk of exposure in the regions where we have offices, guided by the recommendations from local and federal health authorities and the information we're getting from our own teams,” EA said in a statement.

Through this, EA offices in Asia, particularly in Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul and Milan have been previously closed and employees were directed to work from home.

Their Shanghai and Singapore have since returned to their normal routine as per guidance from regional health officials. However, their Seoul and Milan counterparts remain on working remotely.

EA is also “strongly recommending” their North America, Australia and Europe employees to work from home until April 1 to limit their exposure to COVID-19 and mitigate the spread of the virus.

While EA is keen on protecting their employees, they are also looking after their players by doing necessary steps to minimize “any potential for disruption.”

“We don't anticipate major changes in our games or services as a result of our teams working from home, but we're learning through this process as well and patience is the key.

“These are challenging times for everyone. We're working to look after our employees and their families, and make sure we're doing the right and responsible things to fight this pandemic illness,” EA said.