ESL has announced that it is abandoning plans to stage the ESL Pro League Season 13 playoff matches in Malta. The competition will be held entirely online. The tournament organizer cites restrictions on international flights and quarantine measures as the main reason for this decision, which will prevent teams from gathering in Malta to hold matches in the LAN format. The group stage of the competition will begin on March 8, and the start of the playoffs is scheduled for April 2. There will be a three-day break before the final stage, and the final will take place from April 8 to 11.
Previously, when ESL published the calendar of esports events for 2021 in January, the Pro League playoffs were seen as a transitional stage from an online format to competitions that would be held, although without the presence of spectators, but via a LAN connection. It remains unclear whether the same prospect awaits the next major event – DreamHack Masters Spring tournament, scheduled to start on April 29. It was previously announced that it would also be held via LAN in the studio, but now doubts arise about this. It is likely that a decision will be made closer to a specific date, when it becomes clear how the epidemic situation is developing.
