Esports teams out of Canada

The Canadian eSports scene has steadily gone from a niche to a growing industry of its own. Even with quite a few drawbacks, the eSports endeavour in Canada is earning its place on the global stage.

With popular tournaments arising, a growing number of pro players as well as a dedicated fanbase have followed. Being noteworthy, let's shine some light on the true extent of the development of eSports in Canada.

Esports in Canada: the infrastructure

Chris Overholt, CEO of OverActive - “Esports is the next frontier in sports entertainment, and education is stepping up to meet that future.”

By projection, the Canadian eSports industry is said to reach a valuation of $5.72 billion by 2030. It would be a case of wishful thinking to speculate this number if the Great White North didn't already have a robust eSports infrastructure.

Canada is home to several top eSports holding companies, the likes of Enthusiast Gaming and OverActive Media. Also, Rivalry, a popular eSports gambling company, is headquartered in Toronto, Canada as well.

Ultimately, with cities like Vancouver and Toronto leading the charge, Canada is building itself a network of facilities required to boost their eSports exploits on the world stage. Whilst the current infrastructure is still not up to world standard, we can clearly see where it is headed.

The industry standard tournaments

Of late, the biggest factor that has greatly improved global eSports's appeal is the massive and well-executed tournaments. These events have built a lot of traction for the sports and are not slowing down soon. Unsurprisingly, Canada has its own indigenous and international tournaments.

DreamHack, an internationally renowned eSports and gaming festival, has its own Montreal Canada edition. Also, the annual EGLX in Toronto is always something to look out for. Some other attractive Canadian eSports tournaments include;

• Red Bull Campus Clutch – Canada
• Canada Cup Gaming – Fighting Games Central
• Call of Duty League (CDL) Majors

Fun Fact: The Dota 2 International 2018 was held in Vancouver, marking the first time the event took place in Canada. The prize pool exceeded $25 million!

Esports teams out of Canada

Stewart Johnston, President of Sports, Bell Media - “Esports is the fastest growing sport among young Canadians. Supporting it in schools only makes sense for the future of competition and media.”

Of course, the global eSports status wouldn't be complete without global eSports teams in Canada. The Great White North is home to Toronto Ultra, a renowned Call of Duty team also backed by OverActive Media. Another team in the Overwatch League, Toronto Defiant, has some of the best international talents in the country.

These teams compete at the highest levels and also focus on developing new talent for every season. However, in the international eSports spectacle, there are not enough Canadian eSports teams to rival major markets like the US. Nevertheless, these are enough to compete in the niche space.

Top names: players from Canada

Looking around, there are quite many eSports stars to emerge from Canada. FaZe clan's rifler, Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, has been one of the more prominent names in the space recently. Also, Vincent Wang the current support for LCS team, Dignitas is one of the more experienced guys having starred pro eSports since 2015.

Then comes Artour ‘Arteezy’ Babaev, a Dota 2 streamer who is also one of the highest-paid Canadian eSports pros. The list can go on, and the very best Canadian eSports players are also on the bigger world stages.

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Sponsorships and Affiliations

Unsurprisingly, Canadian eSports has received immense support, promotion and sponsorships from casino brands in the country. After all, this partnership is beneficial for both parties. The teams get additional funding, and the gaming brands get additional exposure and an influx of new players.

Review sites like CasinoCanada follow all the brands and talk about the best gambling sites, their promotions, bonuses and winning techniques.

To navigate the gaming topics and choose the best casino, you can always turn to slotsjudge resources at any time as well. The brand is also. covers a large territory by presenting guides to the best casinos such as StoneVegas and others.

Recent Challenges

Like we hinted at from the beginning, eSports in Canada has made very significant progress but still has some way to go. This gap has been created by certain challenges, chief amongst which is the government's non-recognition. This stance has brought about a reservation with mainstream recognition and sponsorship.

Also, there is still some regulatory uncertainty in Canadian eSports. Many still want to project eSports like gambling, which will then shove it under the Canadian Criminal Code umbrella. However, eSports is more skill-based than chance,, so this regulation won't fly.

Fun Fact: Schools like the University of Waterloo and St. Clair College offer esports scholarships and have dedicated varsity esports teams.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, eSports in Canada is not just a trend, it is a fast-growing industry on a quest for another major boom. This boom needs to occur sometime soon to attract more investors and infrastructure to secure its place in the competitive gaming world. So far, and with what's on the ground, Canadian eSports is definitely a space to watch.