Konami has officially announced that the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2021 has been cancelled. The company pointed to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as the culprit for the cancellation, making this the second year in a row that the event will not be held. In a statement on the company’s website, Konami teased that fans can expect to see some in-person tournaments within specific countries and regions, as well as a large online event. The cancellation will likely come as little surprise, but it will still be a very big disappointment for a lot of the game’s fans. Konami’s full statement can be found below:
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“Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, we will be canceling “Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2021” to ensure health and safety of all parties involved.
We apologize to everyone that was looking forward to the event, and appreciate your understanding.
With the cancellation of the world championship, ‘Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG/TCG’ and ‘Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links’ will hold tournaments within countries/regions and a large-scale online event respectively. Further updates and notifications will be posted on our official website and various social media.”
The coronavirus pandemic seems to be nearing an end, as vaccinations increase around the globe. Despite this promising trend, companies remain understandably hesitant to announce any major in-person events for this year, especially those that will attract global interest. The fact is, these types of events require a lot of planning, and it’s easier to cancel them now than it is once venues have been booked, and fans have made plans to travel. The gaming industry has shifted nearly all of its events for this year to an online format as a result, including E3 and the Tokyo Game Show.
Hopefully, 2022 will be a better year for Yu-Gi-Oh! players. Konami has not made any specific plans or announcements for next year, but it certainly seems more promising for the gaming industry as a whole. Hopefully, global vaccinations will diminish the threat of the pandemic, and allow players to once again compete through in-person events. For now, however, fans will just have to wait patiently and hope that the “large-scale online event” Konami revealed will offer an enjoyable experience for players.
Are you a fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG? Are you disappointed that the World Championship 2021 was cancelled? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
