COVID-19 & Organized Play

by Kris Sonsteby, Director of Organized Play

20th March 2020

As many of you know, COVID-19 has begun to impact nearly every aspect of daily life worldwide. School closures, working from home, social distancing... things that did not exist or even seem plausible as recently as last Fall are commonplace now, less than six months later. With so much in turmoil, the Organized Play team intends to be both adaptive and responsive as we move forward with the upcoming competitive season. We serve in support of our player community, and we do that best when we listen to your concerns.

With WCT Leagues winding down this month and Regional season just around the corner, we anticipate some of the tournaments that make up the Road to Worlds will need to be postponed. Recently, it was announced that neither the Michigan Mayhem Masters (U.S.) nor the Milestone Tournament Masters (U.K.) will happen in early April as intended. Both tournament directors have our sympathies, and our full support in getting these gigs rescheduled at a later date. Further, with the ability to host the Regional Championships in April, May, or June, we remain hopeful that Regional season will carry on in much the same way it has in the past albeit somewhat more back end loaded than in previous years. Our various Ambassadors / tournament directors are therefore encouraged to purchase Regional kits as usual, and can rest assured these tournaments will be given the prestige they deserve no matter when they finally take place. Lastly, should the global pandemic linger, we encourage our T.D.'s to host their respective Regional or Masters Championships online either as 1-day affairs or as month long celebrations of their local group. However the games can get played, we want the community to keep playing them.

Speaking to that very point, the Organized Play team would like nothing more than to see an uptick in both casual and competitive online play during this troubling time. With the luxury of 3-person sanctioning and the ability to host tournaments with just 24-hours notice, getting virtually plugged in to First Edition, Second Edition, or Tribbles has never been easier. If competition is not your thing, please consider joining The Dojo's monthly casual league or even connecting with someone on social media for a quick "kitchen table" game or two. We all could use an escape from the self-quarantine blues - what better way to do that than to square off against a new friend half a World away in a match of STCCG?

In closing, we are keenly aware that COVID-19 will disrupt the competitive season this year and are open to suggestion on how to make the most of the situation we collectively find ourselves in. But above all else, both the Continuing Committee's Board of Directors and the Organized Play team in particular want the members of our community to stay safe. Throughout this pandemic, we encourage every one of you reading this to follow the guidelines established by your local Country / State / Region governing body. If you are being asked to avoid large gatherings, then please do so. If you do not feel comfortable attending tournaments during this time, consider jumping into an online gig or contributing on the forums. However you can, please stay dialed in. We are all in this together, after all. While we may be individually isolated, none of us are alone.

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