Epic Games Reportedly Will Not Host Any LANs Until 2022 Q2
As the global pandemic appears to be being phased out of the large majority of the world, many of the top esports are reintroducing offline events to their major championships.
Albeit they're hosted behind closed doors, the likes of League of Legends, Rainbow Six: Seige, Dota 2, Call of Duty, and even one-year-old VALORANT has brought LAN back into play, allowing international teams to be pitted against each other for world supremacy.
However, one developer has chosen to cancel their offline events for this summer. According to reports, Epic Games will not be hosting any LAN events until Q2 of 2022.
Epic Set To Cancel All LANs This Year
Epic Games has clamped down on a local LAN event held in America. The Midwest Open Circuit, hosted by Iowa Esports, would have seen Fortnite players aged 13 and above compete for $10,000 in Kansas City. However, the tournament organisers have now revealed the Epic Games has put a stop to the showcase and further claimed that they will not be permitted to hold one "until the global impact from COVID-19 has diminished".
Their statement reads that Epic Games "do not plan to allow in-person events until Q2 2022, or when the global impact from COVID-19 has diminished."
The Impact of no LANs by Epic Games
The developers had previously cancelled their major championships in their main titles of Fortnite, Rocket League, and Gears of War for 2021, replacing them with regional online events, such that have been played all year.
Fortnite's FNCS Season 6 Grand Finals concluded as of March 9, with each region having had a split of the prize pool to compete for.
Rocket League's World Championship was axed too, in favour of a "Regional Championship", demised of the teams that qualified for Worlds. However, the decision to hold back off future LANs also means that RL fans may not see another international event until an undetermined RLCS XI World Championships in the summer of next year (granted that the future season will follow the same structure).
Sadly, as many other titles head back on stage, Rocket League, Fortnite, and Gears of War players and fans will have to get used to their gaming chairs for another year.
Image via Epic Games | Zeebo Designs | Tim Bright