Based on an April 21st report from Barrons, the 2022 Asia Games could potentially be postponed to 2023. This would be a huge blow to the global video game industry because this year’s edition of the games was expected to feature esports as a medal event for the first time.
This competition series is currently scheduled to take place this coming September in Hangzhou, the largest city in Shanghai, China. However, ongoing lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic would make hosting the 19th Asian Games “impossible,” according to Dexerto‘s Meg Kay.
At this time, an official decision on postponing the event has not been announced. However, Husain Al-Musallam, the director-general of the Olympic Council of Asia, stated it is a “possibility” that the games are postponed to next year.
As previously mentioned, this year’s Asia Games would be the first to feature esports as a medal event. Some of the titles that are expected to be showcased at the competition include PUBG, Dota 2, and League of Legends.