The 2019 novel coronavirus strain temporarily shut down many businesses in mainland China after it broke out in early January, and among them were those involved in the video game industry. This caused several production delays, including two delays related to the Nintendo Switch.
The coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, and began to spread around the country and the rest of the world. Government action taken to reduce the chances of disease proliferation included the extension of the Lunar New Year holiday. This effectively put a halt to much of the manufacturing in the country, which produces many of the world's consumer electronics. The extended holiday period has now ended, potentially ending that delay but also - more importantly - putting more Chinese citizens at risk of infection.
2019-nCoV, also known as the novel coronavirus, has infected more than 45,000 people and killed more than 1,100, with the World Health Organization having said it's too early to predict when the outbreak will end, according to CNN. It's unknown whether any of those directly affected by the disease are a part of the video game industry - developers, factory workers, or otherwise. What is known is how safety precautions have affected production. Publisher Private Division announced in early February that the Outer Worlds Switch port was delayed by Virtuous – the port's Singapore-headquartered developer with several Chinese studios – as its Outer Worlds studio was closed to protect employees. Private Division noted at the time that all of the Virtuous team was safe. No other studios have announced major game delays, but it's reasonable to assume other China-based developers were temporarily shut down.
Another Switch-related announcement came with the delay of Switch shipments to Japan. Nintendo told Japanese fans that China-manufactured Switch consoles, Joy-Con, and Ring Fit Adventure game packs (which include the "Ring-Con" hardware piece and were apparently apparently out-of-stock in Japan) were expected to be delayed due to the coronavirus. Nintendo later announced the coronavirus won't affect Switch production in the West, as it does not anticipate a similar effect on its global supply chain. While not confirmed, a recent report suggested the coronavirus could delay Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles. A TechRadar report later claimed this was not the case, however, and the new Microsoft and Sony consoles would most likely not be delayed.
The esports industry has also taken precautions, as large collections of players and spectators could pose a big risk to those attending. Activision-Blizzard canceled all Chinese Overwatch League matches, and PUBG Corporation and Riot Games cancelled various PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and League of Legends esports events, respectively, according to Reuters. Additionally, the coronavirus caused Plague Inc. game sales to spike. Developer Ndemic Creations said this often happens around the time of disease outbreaks, but it warned players that, although it designed Plague Inc. to be a realistic depiction of the way diseases spread, the game is not a scientific model.
To learn more about 2019-nCoV, the novel coronavirus, visit the World Health Organization website.