The New York Excelsior of the Overwatch League have decided to temporarily step back from playing their matches due to a stay-at-home order issued in New York.
After the league was suspended amid the spread of COVID-19 a few weeks ago, the NYXL were set to resume their season with matches against the Atlanta Reign and Boston Uprising this weekend. But, an executive order issued by New York governor Andrew Cuomo urging all non-essential workers to stay home has prompted the team to step back from their upcoming matches.
The announcement came from the team’s official Twitter account. “As the state of New York continues to mandate that all non-essential workers remain at home, the NYXL will temporarily be stepping-back from playing matches in the Overwatch League. We’re continuing to make all efforts to return to competition as soon as possible.”
Esport insider Rod “Slasher” Breslau reportedly had contact with a representative of the New York Excelsior who told him that the team was ready to play their online matches in the team facility, but they do not have the necessary setups to compete from the players’ individual apartments.
The NYXL isn’t the only team who has been forced to cancel matches. The London Spitfire’s matches for this upcoming weekend have also been removed from the schedule. The Spitfire, who boast an entirely Korean roster, are currently in the process of relocating their team to South Korea.
New York has been one of the states hit hardest by the coronavirus. According to the CDC, there have been nearly 39,000 reported positive cases in the state. New York’s neighbor, New Jersey, has the second most positive cases with 6,000.
If more teams are unable to participate in their matches, it will be interesting to see how Blizzard handles the situation. What does the competitiveness of the league look like with just a portion of its teams playing? How does this affect the rest of the season? Nonetheless, the Overwatch League is set to resume its play on Saturday, March 28th, with the Guangzhou Charge vs. the Shanghai Dragons leading the slate.
Sources: NYXL, Rod “Slasher” Breslau, CDC
