Canada is a gaming capital — an estimated 61% of the population plays online games regularly. In recent years, the country’s gaming pursuits have veered towards the exciting new world of esports and betting, with Toronto and Vancouver leading the charge. Esports tournaments and events are all the rage, and developers are searching for the next innovation to grow the country’s gaming potential. Let’s take a look at what their efforts have yielded so far.
The Canadian Esports Scene – Key Stakeholders
Much of esports’ success in Canada is due to the presence of significant esports holding companies and organizations. React Gaming Group, Enthusiast Gaming, OverActive Media, Shopify Rebellion, and Luminosity Gaming are all headquartered in Canada.
But while it’s easy to laud these big players as the backbone of the esports industry, the sector is driven and sustained by many stakeholders, most notably Canada casino and esports betting sites, publishers, teams, amateur and professional players, tournament organizers, and fans. Entertainment Software Association of Canada reports that over 18 million people follow esports in North America.
Competition-wise, the Canadian esports space is backed by prominent names like famous VALORANT player Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, LoL pro Joseph Joon ‘jojo pyun’ Pyun, and Counter-Strike expert Russel ‘Twistzz’ Van. The country also boasts several high-profile pro coaches and organizers.
Tournaments and Leagues
With such a comprehensive and healthy team of stakeholders, it should be no surprise that Canada has hosted and continues to host several major esports leagues and tournaments. The most notable examples from this list include:
1. NA LCS 2017 Spring Playoffs
2. The International 2018
3. Overwatch League 2023 – Playoffs
4. Several Call of Duty League (CDL) Majors
5. Dreamhack Montreal
6. BLAST R6 Major Montreal 2024, and
7. Get On My Level (GOML)
Canada’s top teams — Vancouver Titans, Raptors Uprising, Movistar Riders, Toronto Ultra, etc. — have consistently outranked and outperformed their competitors in these games.
Esports Capital Markets and Innovation
This may explain the high innovation and investment in the esports industry in Canada. In 2022, OverActive Media announced plans to build a 7,000-seater esports arena worth $500 million USD in Toronto by 2025. This was just after the Ontario government set aside $1 million for a scholarship program for post-secondary beneficiaries looking to drive innovation in the field.
The program focuses on students of marketing, game development, design, and any other field that could impact the esports space in the future. It is one of several such programs in the country, second to the BC School Sports-GameSeta Esports Inc. collaboration of 2020.
Investment-wise, Canada boasts several collegiate esports venues, such as The Nexus — a 15,000-square-foot location for varsity competitions. These venues host annual local and regional competitions like the Canadian Intercollegiate Exhibition and the Canadian Esports Nationals.
Government and Regulatory Support
The Canadian government has yet to pass a blanket regulation for all esports activity in the country. However, individual provinces and cities set the stage for the esports boom. Vancouver was the first Canadian city to implement an official esports strategy designed to turn it into a gaming hub. Toronto is also a very popular and critical esports Mecca for players and fans.
The Future of Canadian Esports
With an estimated viewership of over 500 million fans, the esports sector is poised for astronomical growth. Stakeholders like Betway, which allows fans to watch and bet on popular esports games, are a key driver of this growth. They, alongside investors, developers, and innovators, will usher in this new era of Canadian entertainment.