ESPN is postponing its broadcast coverage of the X Games “Apex Legends” EXP Invitational that was originally scheduled to air on the network this weekend, due to the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, TheWrap has learned.
Representatives for ESPN declined to comment, but a person with knowledge of the matter told TheWrap that the decision to postpone the broadcast was made very shortly after news about the shootings broke last weekend.
Coverage of the tournament will now air Sunday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2, Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and Sunday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The tournament itself took place on Aug. 2 and 3 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The full tournament was streamed live on Twitch and YouTube, among other digital platforms. ESPN will be airing a recap of the event with highlights, not the full competition.
“Apex Legends,” published by Electronic Arts, is a battle royale-style first-person shooter game.
In contrast to EA’s “Battlefield ” franchise or Activision’s “Call of Duty,” both of which feature multiplayer as well as stories inspired by real-world geopolitics, “Apex Legends” is a straight competition as teams of players eliminate one another. It launched on XBox One, Playstation 4 and PC last February.
Esports journalist Rod Breslau first reported ESPN’s decision to delay coverage of the event.