Brace yourselves for the upcoming spin-off of "Idol Star Athletics Championships" focused on eSports!
MBC announced last month that it would be canceling all indoor events for its "2020 Idol Star Athletics Championships- Chuseok Special" due to South Korea's reinstatement of stricter social distancing rules in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases. The network also shared that it discussed the possibility of pursuing the popular eSports event and the newly introduced dog agility competition, both of which could be held outdoors.
Furthermore, MBC officially confirmed on September 11 that it would be airing the "2020 Idol eSports Athletic Championships" as a stand-alone Chuseok special this fall.
The network shared that they have decided to prepare the eSports competition, which was popular with fans and is well suited to the current 'Untact' [contact-free] era, with the original participating athletes.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile and the mobile version of KartRider are this year's two featured events. Moreover, MBC also announced that the hosts of the upcoming special event are Super Junior's Shindong and trot singer Hong Jin Young.
The network stated, "Super Junior's Shindong and Hong Jin Young, who are both well-known as gaming experts in the entertainment industry, will be joining forces as MCs with caster Jeon Yong Jun and Kim Dae Gyeom as a commentator. Together, they will lead the program smoothly with fun and witty commentary."
MBC added that they would be prioritizing everyone's safety and the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 above all else during filming. As a precautionary measure, the competing idols will be separated by protective booths as the filming for the special will take place outdoors.
Previously, MBC confirmed that is would also be airing its new idol dog agility competition in its own stand-alone Chuseok special.
Tune in for more updates regarding the progress in the "2020 Idol eSports Athletics Championships"!