By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The National esports league is planning to start their tournament this September following the major changes they’ve discussed regarding the protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originally slated to begin last March, the country’s first franchise-based esports league confirmed they adjusted some things related to the tourney format to suit the safety protocols issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Instead of hosting the event in a specific uniform venue, tournament organizers decided to hold the tournament online and will ignore the studio setting, the usual setup done in esports leagues.
“We think that there is an opportunity to inspire. Not just in giving joy to the people, but also by using the platform that the teams and we have to spread awareness. Of course, the league also generates jobs for a lot of players, their support staff, and in many other interfaces,” league commissioner Ren Vitug said.
Those games to be catered this season will be Tekken 7, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Dota 2 but instead of a six-conference format, it will be shortened to just three due to COVID-19.
The Nationals are working hand-in-hand with the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) regarding the health and safety protocols because of the ongoing pandemic.
