The Rise of Esports In Canada
The Canadian esports industry has enjoyed a remarkable growth curve in recent years and it should continue to flourish during this new age of contagion. Many esports firms have opted to go public in Canada as its stock exchanges impose fewer regulations than their prominent US counterparts. That has seen Canadian capital markets play a central role in driving the global esports boom.
Competitive gaming is also growing increasingly popular in Canada. Last year, analytics firm NewZoo revealed that 1.5 million Canadians watch esports on a monthly basis. That figure has spiked in 2020 after traditional sporting events were postponed as a result of the Covid-19.
Fans cannot pack out stadiums to watch their favourite CS:GO, Dota 2 and LoL stars in action right now. However, the events have gone digital instead, allowing viewers to enjoy gripping action 24/7 during the lockdown.
Players Become Millionaires
A decade ago, competitive gaming was a niche, underground pursuit in Canada. The first star gamer to put the country on the map was Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling, who led Evil Geniuses to victory in The International 2015. By that point, The International had firmly established itself as the world’s richest esports tournament, and prize money that year stood at a cool $18.4 million (US dollars).
Aui_2000 and his four teammates took home a first prize of more than $6.6 million, making him an overnight millionaire and inspiring legions of young Canadians to follow in his footsteps. Aui_2000 has never managed to scale such impressive heights again, but Artour “Arteezy” Babaev has flown the flag for Canada with aplomb on the Dota 2 scene.
Arteezy is now a key member of the Evil Geniuses Dota 2 team, and he helped them finish third at The International 2018. Teammate Tal “Fly” Aizik is an Israeli/Canadian pro, with career earnings of $2.4 million. That makes him the highest-paid Canadian gamer of all time, ahead of Arteezy, who has earned $2.25 million, and Aui_2000 with $2 million.
Hayden “Elevate” Krueger also hit headlines when he secured a third placed finish in the duos event at last year’s Fortnite World Cup. He was just 16 years old at the time, and in one fell swoop he earned a $955,000 prize.
Williams “Zayt” Aubin, a 19-year-old Canadian, finished fourth in the duos event at the Fortnite World Cup, netting $750,000. He is now 20 and his career earnings stand at $1.1 million.
CS:GO is actually the most popular esports game in Canada. There are 19 pro squads in the country, and it has yielded many famous players, including Twistzz, NAF, stanislaw and shroud. Canada also has a thriving StarCraft II scene, while the likes of SquishyMuffinz and JKnaps have flourished at Rocket League.
Mergers and Acquisitions Spell Big Business
The success of these players has fuelled considerable interest in pro gaming among Canadians. Yet the country plays an even more important role behind the scenes. Both domestic and international companies have listed on the TSX, TSXV and CSE as a result of the favourable regulatory framework it offers.
This has led to a raft of opportunities for investors and legal professionals in Canada, creating jobs and boosting the economy, while putting the country at the centre of a thriving global industry.
We have seen some large mergers and acquisitions over the past year. On August 30, 2019, a Canadian esports behemoth was formed when Aquilini GameCo Inc. completed its acquisition of Luminosity Gaming Inc. and Luminosity Gaming (USA), LLC, as well as its subsequent amalgamation with J55 Capital Corp. The enlarged firm, Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc., now owns eight esports teams, including the popular Vancouver Titans Overwatch League franchise, along with 40 esports influencers, more than 100 gaming media websites, and more than 900 YouTube and Twitch channels.
A Flourishing Scene
Canada is now a hotbed for esports teams, streamers and publishers. Last year, the country’s largest dedicated esports arena opened in the heart of downtown Montreal. The Esports Central Gaming Complex boasts 94 cutting-edge PCs, 26 consoles, six racing simulators, two Virtuix Omni VR stations and more.
“It’s more than just entertainment, we’re here to unite the gaming community under one roof,” said Delilah Kanou, Esports Central’s president. “It’s a place to grow and thrive, with a supportive network of like-minded gamers. It’s the destination where future esports champions will emerge.”
Social distancing is the name of the game right now, but projects like Esports Central will help the competitive gaming scene flourish long into the future in Canada. The popularity of the scene will continue to soar in the years ahead. In 2019, NewZoo revealed that there were 450 million esports viewers around the world.
That figure will soar in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. Gambling companies have reported a surge in demand for esports wagering markets during the absence of traditional sport and, as you can see here, there are a number of exciting options for fans to choose from.
The Sky is the Limit
It shows just how mainstream the esports scene is becoming. Fans of hockey, football and basketball might have previously written off pro gaming as the domain of nerdy types and shown zero interest in esports. Now they are clamouring to watch Dota 2, CS:GO and Rocket League tournaments.
Pro gamers are now multimillionaires with massive social media followings and highly aspirational lifestyles. Canadian gamers relate to them and want to follow in their footsteps, and this trend should one day help esports usurp traditional sports in the popularity stakes.
That might sound far-fetched, but competitive gaming is still in its infancy and it is already more popular than many traditional sports. It significantly over-indexes among teenagers and young adults, and they are the future. It will continue to become more exciting and dynamic each year thanks to advances in technology such as AR and VR, while traditional sports will remain staid and static.
Esports has the potential to become the most popular form of entertainment in the world, and Canada has the opportunity to remain at the heart of the trend. The future looks very bright indeed.…
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Source: Eastern European Gaming
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