The 12th IESF Esports World Championship has ended after the regional tournaments ©IESF

The International Esports Federation (IESF) has decided to conclude the 12th edition of its Esports World Championship after the regional online stage, axing plans for an in-person finals event in Israel.

Eilat had been due to host finals in DOTA 2, Tekken 7 and eFootball PES 2021 titles, but will no longer do so.

The decision to not to stage finals was jointly taken by the IESF, Israeli Esports Association and Maccabi World Union as coronavirus cases continue to climb in many parts of the world, with travel restrictions and bans on mass gatherings still in force.

Given the global health crisis, Organising Committee head Ido Brosh described 2020 as "perhaps the most complex year in recent decades for hosting an international event".

Finals of the 2020 Esports World Championship had already been postponed once, having initially been scheduled for December 2020.

Finals will not take place "made due to IESF’s long-lasting commitment to the players’ health and safety, which could not be guaranteed at this time due to the COVID-19 situation globally", said the IESF ©Getty Images
Finals will not take place "made due to IESF’s long-lasting commitment to the players’ health and safety, which could not be guaranteed at this time due to the COVID-19 situation globally", said the IESF ©Getty Images

"Despite this, we managed to host a significant large-scale competition for the world’s players," Brosh - Israeli Esports Association President and an IESF Board member - added.

"This is a sign of the power and capabilities of IESF, Israel, and the Local Organizing Committee to produce large and significant activities despite the major challenges."

Eilat is also due to stage the 2021 finals, late in the year.

An increased prize pool of $75,000 (£55,000/€60,000) will be distributed to the winners of regional tournaments, the IESF said, with the size of their prizes depending on the size of the regional tournaments.