Evo 2020 canceled due to coronavirus pandemic, online event coming

Organizers for the Evolution Championship Series (better known as Evo) announced Friday the cancellation of their major fighting game event this year. Evo 2020 will move online “this summer,” according to a tweet from the Evo team. It had been scheduled to take place from July 31 to Aug. 2 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

“Due to COVID-19, we are sadly cancelling Evo 2020 at Mandalay Bay and refunding all purchased tickets,” the organizers said. “But to keep the Evo spirit alive, we’re bringing the event online this summer. More information coming soon!”

Evo has been held in person every year since 2002, and in the Las Vegas area since 2005.

The Evo organizers clarified that “all arena tickets and hotel room reservations” would be automatically refunded — “no need to call in.”

In March, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced an emergency order that banned gatherings of 10 people or more in public areas — something plenty of governors around the country have done, too. The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic in March, and there are now more than 3 million cases reported globally, with over 1 million in the U.S. alone. More than 240,000 people have died.

Large in-person gatherings and events, like Evo, will likely be discouraged for a while as the country attempts to slow the spread of the virus.