With proper safety measures in place*, very comfortable. Katowice is in just over a month, and though there's a chance it won't happen without an audience, I'm hopeful. My reasoning is that even if I get exposed, I can quarantine pretty easily, and I'm not interacting with vulnerable people.

* Attendees should be fully vaccinated and boostered, with testing as needed.

Jealous

10216 Posts

January 16 2022 19:41 GMT

Frankly, not at all.

I am comfortable with going grocery shopping, because it is easy to social distance, and it doesn't take very long, so I can sanitize my hands, remove my mask, and move on with my life quite quickly afterward. I am comfortable going to a few local bars that I know, because I know the owners, I know the atmosphere, and I know the people I am going with, and it is definitely a low risk situation (also socially distanced, good cleaning done between customers, rarely a lot of people there in the first place even before the pandemic outside of peak hours/dates, etc.)

An eSports event? No thank you. Too many strangers from too many different places, many probably hailing from urban areas which are hotbeds for transmission, many who probably have lacking hygiene or are just straight up anti-vaxxers, etc. Fuck all that noise. Watching eSports live is not worth the risk to my family, even with this milder variant. You never know who will get lasting long-term effects or what they even might be for Omicron at this point.

eSports has the privilege (in many situations) of being very flexible in terms of venue, to the point where the whole tournament can run online in most cases. Sure, it is less "hype" and not nearly as social because Twitch chat is cancer, but at the very least the games can continue and the players have something to practice for. We should be exercising that privilege as much as possible.

Furthermore, I feel like I wouldn't want to go to an eSports event because it will be populated by people who are okay with going to a major sporting event right now, which implies to me that their understanding or appreciation of the severity of the virus does not line up with my own, so I'd rather just not deal with them/that situation.

Finally, I feel like giving up and attending events of this nature are part of the reason why we are 2 years into this shit at this point, too. I don't want to contribute to the problem.

Would like to add that I currently live outside NYC so I am imagining an NYC/AC event.

Master of DalK

Canada1799 Posts

January 16 2022 19:44 GMT

I've mostly resigned myself since its my line of work, GENESIS 8 was supposed to happen in 2 weeks and I was prepared to get omicron even by being safe and everyone being vaxxed, etc, since it was going to be like 5K people. Luckily they've postponed it to April though, I think in the warmer months it'll be easier to handle.

Poopi

France12904 Posts

January 16 2022 20:43 GMT

I am comfortable for Katowice and later tournaments since the covid wave should have calmed down by then, and the audience allowed needs a valid EU covid digital certificate, which lessens the risk furthermore. I will probably lock down myself / close to it for one week before the event just in case, but I am hopeful.

Beelzebub1

1004 Posts

January 16 2022 20:50 GMT

Sure, but everyone needs to have a valid COVID vaccination card, wear masks, and get a forehead temperature check.

koalabro

59 Posts

January 16 2022 21:02 GMT

I was ready in the middle of 2020. Hell, I'm unvaccinated now and ready to go as long no vaccination, masks or temperature checks are required.

JJH777

United States4414 Posts

January 16 2022 21:49 GMT

On January 17 2022 06:02 koalabro wrote:
I was ready in the middle of 2020. Hell, I'm unvaccinated now and ready to go as long no vaccination, masks or temperature checks are required.

Yikes.

Bagration

United States18282 Posts

January 16 2022 22:51 GMT

It would depend on whether or not there's a COVID surge going on in the region. Plus, where the event is being held matters too - a lot of places in East Asia would be safer from a COVID perspective compared to say the USA, due to a variety of factors

dbRic1203

Germany2655 Posts

January 17 2022 07:41 GMT

#10

I was thinking about going to one of the HSCs this year.
But it will depend heavily in their safty measures.
If it is going to be vaccinated + Boosted + tested and social distancing and Hygiene Standards in place, I might consider it.

I still feel unconfortable in the Metro though, especially in rush hours, there are just to many people in the same enclosed space with you.
Luckily I work from home like 90% of the time

Spinoza

667 Posts

January 17 2022 08:31 GMT

#11

I feel completely comfortable attending any event. I am healthy with no illnesses at all. You know .. it is not enough to just live, you have to have something to live for.

I don't want to rot away in isolation. Life should and must be experienced at the fullest. This madness must stop.

Cheers everyone!

TequilaMockingbird

Germany64 Posts

January 17 2022 08:35 GMT

#12

If everyone is vaccinated three times, tested and wearing masks is mandatory I would go. Kinda doubt Katowice is really going to happen offline though... or maybe with like 500 peeps in attendance.

Gluon

Netherlands400 Posts

January 17 2022 13:20 GMT

#13

I would love to go back to a live event, even if it carries a nonzero risk. I would assume standard safety measures will be in place, and previous experiments with such events have shown that the risks are quite manageable. Perhaps an outdoor venue could be tried?

TheCheapSkate

Slovenia317 Posts

January 17 2022 13:46 GMT

#14

Very comfortable since i am vaxxed and Omicron seems to be almost as mild as a cold to the protected.

Jealous

10216 Posts

January 17 2022 15:32 GMT

#15

On January 17 2022 06:49 JJH777 wrote:

Show nested quote +

Yikes.

This thread already has multiple examples of the kind of mentality that would be present among the attendees of an eSports event right now, which contributes to my saying "fuck no." With attendees like these, IEM Katowice could become a "super spreader" event just like that.

Spirral

71 Posts

January 17 2022 17:08 GMT

#16

On January 18 2022 00:32 Jealous wrote:

Show nested quote +

Another issue is that IEM Katowice is happening in Poland where sadly the mentality of many seems to be to not give a shit about Covid restrictions. Many people don't even wear masks in the supermarkets and in buses/trains and usually nobody cares because there is a general approval to go against the regulations. The current government is afraid to impose stricter regulations, probably to not piss off their electorate and not damage the economy even more. However it is important to note that Poland has one of the highest ratio of Covid-related deaths so one should be extremely careful when going there. Take note that if the Polish government allows for such events to take place it doesn't mean it's safe to go there. If they cared about people's safety they would close down everything long ago.

billynasty

United States260 Posts

January 17 2022 18:35 GMT

#17

I'd go for sure 100%, i know a lot of like minded individuals that feel the same too.
We need to get back to life eventually. People are getting infected without having esports events so we might as well have esports cuz what difference does it make? Go abide by the local rules on vaccinations, where a mask & take precautions but live some kind of life.
The way this is being spoken about, this is something we're gonna have to live with (and die with) for years to come.
I'd rather live life as much as possible when i have it, than be in some suspended animation state in perpetuity where for years none of us are living at all.
Theres a new variant called Deltacron. Months from now there'll be Omideltacovidcron. Next year it'll be something else & then the next year. If we stick with the status quo it could be years before a live SC2 event takes place again. Heck the gaem could be daed by then... and so could you. It'd be nice to live a bit when we still can imho

InfCereal

Canada1759 Posts

January 17 2022 19:25 GMT

#18

On January 17 2022 06:02 koalabro wrote:
I was ready in the middle of 2020. Hell, I'm unvaccinated now and ready to go as long no vaccination, masks or temperature checks are required.

If these are the kinds of people going - no, not comfortable at all.

TelecoM

United States10682 Posts

January 17 2022 19:50 GMT

#19

I'm not really comfortable at all with going to be honest, because I feel like it is too hard to make it fail safe with the resurgence of covid happening...I am not sure it would be possible to have it 100% safe, even if everyone was vaccinated / boosted / temperature checked, but hopefully this all changes soon.