- Chinese teams might have to skip the Mid-Season Invitational in South Korea
- Because of China’s COVID-19 policies, the teams would be forced into a month-long quarantine upon their return
- This means that they would miss out on the LPL Summer Split, which will be shorter this year
If Riot Games does not allow Chinese teams to play remotely, most of them will not be able to attend the Mid-Season Invitational in South Korea.
Doinb Explained What the Problem Is
The COVID-19 situation continues to present difficulties to esports teams. Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang, LNG’s mid laner has just shared that his team (and by extension, all other LPL teams) might have to skip the Mid-Season Invitational in May.
The player shared that his team will be stuck in quarantine in Shanghai, as local policies force people to quarantine for 21 days after they have entered the city. Because of this, LNG may not be able to participate in the Mid-Season Invitational, which will take place in South Korea.
While traveling to Korea itself should not be a problem, the team will have to isolate itself for almost a month upon its return to China. This means that it risks missing out on the Summer Split. With things being as they are, LNG’s best bet is to forgo going to the Mid-Season Invitational and secure its position in the LPL.
The LPL Schedule Is the Source of Most Difficulties
Doinb explained that LNG will only have a chance to participate in the Mid-Season Invitational if Riot Games opts to allow the team to play remotely. While this is not an unprecedented scenario, it is yet to be seen whether the company will approve of LGN playing remotely.
Since this situation will affect all of the Chinese teams, there is a big chance that Riot Games will be benevolent and will adapt accordingly. After all, the latest World Championship was won by an LPL team, meaning that the game developer cannot just ignore its Chinese audience.
However, it is best to wait for an official announcement and see how Riot Games plans to handle the upcoming event.
The uncomfortable situation is caused by the decision to shorten the LPL Summer Split in order to make place for the Hangzhou Asian Games – a large sports event that will feature several esports titles as competitive sports disciplines. Because of this, LPL teams will have to play four series each Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and get the Summer Split done within a month.
