This article originally appeared on ABACUS China is shutting down attractions left and right to stave off the spread of a deadly new coronavirus. Cinemas and shopping malls across the country have already closed, and now esports is taking a hit with the country’s biggest esports league postponing its spring games . Both the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) and its development league are postponing many of their games, Tencent announced this week. The spring split of the LPL just kicked off in mid-January, but Tencent said that games slated for after the Chinese New Year break will be postponed without disclosing further details. Games for the LPL’s development league haven’t started yet, and a new start date hasn’t been announced. The LPL is China’s most popular esports league with hundreds of millions of fans. The year is divided into two splits. Last year’s spring split had a prize pool of 3.3 million yuan (US$475,730) . Like the NFL or NBA, the league has a franchise-based system with home and away games, where hundreds of fans show up to cheer on their favorite teams or players in dozens of esports arenas across the country. Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020.