Canada Well-Placed To Challenge U.S. Domination Of Esports

Canada is attempting to challenge the hegemony of the United States in the esports sector, with revenue from esports rising in the Great White North.

Canada certainly has the foundations to become a major center of the esports industry thanks to its wealth of game developers, the high levels of esports revenue, and the huge popularity of the sport in Canada.

The Boom In Esports In Canada

With an estimated 5.7 million esports fans in Canada, it is no surprise to see revenue from mobile gaming continuing to grow in the nation with a forecast increase from $474.2 million in 2019 to $943.95 million in 2025. Forecasts suggest that the popularity of video gaming and esports in Canada is showing no signs of diminishing.

The popularity of esports can be demonstrated by the explosion of tournaments that are live streamed to fans all over the world on sites such as Twitch and YouTube with the League of Legends 2020 World Championship attracting over 3.8 million viewers. Live streams of tournaments have also led to online sportsbooks offering odds on esports events with Betway providing a dedicated esports page with the latest prices on esports such as CS:GO, League of Legends, and VALORANT. bet365 also provides offers to bet on esports: with the sportsbook introducing a dedicated site for existing bet365 players in Ontario, full information on account migration is available at betminded.com.

Prominent professional Canadian esports players have achieved high earnings from the sport. Players such as Artour Babaev, known as Arteezy, who is the highest earning Canadian in esports, have made almost $2.5 million. The Dota 2 player currently represents the Evil Geniuses esports team. Other high earners include Kurtis Ling, known as Aui_2000, and Williams Aubin, whose esports name is Zayt.

A Major Player In Game Development

Canada has been a major player in the gaming industry for some time now and is ranked third behind Japan and the United States in the list of global producers of video games. The esports industry contributed $5.5 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2019. Prominent video games made in Canada include Gotham Knights and Batman: Arkham Origins, developed by WB Games Montréal. As highlighted by gamerant.com, the Assassin’s Creed franchise, which was mainly developed by Ubisoft Montreal, has constantly devised innovations to keep fans of the franchise coming back for more.

A National Arena For Esports Contests

The importance of esports to the Canadian economy is exemplified by the construction of a 7,200-seat esports venue in Toronto. This article from theglobeandmail.com reported that the center, which will be located at Toronto’s Exhibition Place, will also function as an entertainment location for concerts. It is the brainchild of esports and entertainment company OverActive Media and the plan envisages the arena being used to host the company’s Call of Duty and Overwatch League professional franchises with events being held on up to 40 nights each year. It is expected that the venue will be completed by the summer or fall of 2025.

Esports plays a vital role in the Canadian entertainment industry, with the sector providing revenue and jobs. The popularity of the sport continues to grow and Canada’s history as a developer of video games means that the nation has an advantage when it comes to challenging the domination of Japan and the United States. The huge esports fan base and the constant increase in the popularity of gaming in the country could be crucial in Canada’s attempt to match the two most popular esports nations.