The phrase e-sport is commonly used among teenagers. But you might not know what esports is if you haven’t yet engaged in this sort of entertainment. Esports, to put it simply, is a subset of competitive video games in which people or teams compete with one another. These aren’t standard video games where a person faces off against the system or machine.
Although there are many different video genres used in esports, playing these games online at an online casino is the most widely used method. There are “superstar” esports teams and enormous esports competitions. Thousands of viewers tune in to watch and wager on the games as these players compete ahead of them. You’ll get the greatest chance at a reputable, licensed online casino, and you’ll know your funds are secure. When you win, picking up your prize is quick and easy.
Esports has evolved over the past several years from a small, fervent video game fan community to a worldwide, billion-dollar industry. By 2023, there will be 646 million people watching esports and 322.7 billion esports players globally by 2025, and the sector may be worth more than $1.5 billion.
A significant global movement, and Canada has recently competed well in a number of important titles to become the leading player in the esports. Team Canada finished second in the Overwatch World Cup in 2017. In addition, Canadian Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn made history in 2018 by being the first woman to win a significant StarCraft 2 championship when she took first place at the IEM event in Pyeongchang.
Several Canadian teams and organizations now compete internationally. The Toronto Defiant and Vancouver Titans are members of the Overwatch League, and Overactive Media and Luminosity Gaming, respectively, are regarded as two of the top esports companies in the world.
Even though this business spends millions of dollars on artists, esports events, and publicity, it wasn’t easy to get here. With several early innovators and sector leaders, we examine the rise of esports in Canada to learn what led to this point.
The eSports industry is engulfing every part of the world. It’s estimated that by 2025 the eSports industry will have a value close to 3 billion dollars.
Gamers are at the forefront of this sporting revolution, and countries realize the impact eSports can have on their economies. Over the last decade, Canada has also started embracing eSports, and they are ranked 8th in the world when it comes to game sales.
You will find that games are gender-neutral in Canada, and the same percentage of men and women are involved in eSports games. Let’s look at the overall state of play of eSports in Canada.
Like the rest of the world, gaming is thriving in Canada. The gaming sector is a serious business concern in addition to the entertainment sector.
The gambling sector in Canada is responsible for a $3.7 billion increase in GDP. Canada is the third-largest country in terms of employment in the gaming business, behind the United States and Japan, thanks to a long list of well-known studios that employ architects, animators, gambling experts, and many other positions. Canada stands in the ninth position in the best country in esports as of 2022, with the United States, China, and South Korea at the top of the list.
The most popular eSports games in Canada at the moment
The most-watched eSport at the moment in Canada is League of Legends (LOL). The game may be the most viewed in Canada, but most professional players take part in other eSport games. Among these eSport games, several stand out based on the overall earnings and number of teams taking part in the game.
The ESport games are;
- StarCraft II
- Overwatch
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- League of legends
- Heroes of the Storm
Here is a list based on the number of team participants in these eSports games in Canada. In the individual category, you will find eSports games like;
- Brood War
- StarCraft
- Dota 2
- Hearthstone
- League of Legends
- Fortnite
- Call of Duty
An emerging trend sees players gravitate to first-person shooter and battle royal style games.
Esports major tournaments are continued to be held offline in 2021. At the end of the year, let’s showcase the most well-liked and captivating cybersport games in Canada. The total prize fund awarded for the year as well as the proportion of regular and infrequent viewers of broadcasts, were used to rank the disciplines.
1. Fortnite
There is a $99 million prize pool.
There are 673 competitions offering rewards.
The publishing year is 2017.
Game creator: Epic Games
The Battle Royale genre
To talk about the popularity of this game would be redundant. It still occupies the Twitch throne and has no plans to give it up. Epic Games has made a strong effort to introduce their creation to the cybersport disciplines as soon as possible. The 2018–2019 tournaments have a $100 million prize fund. In contrast, League of Legends competitions split $12 million throughout the same time period. The Fortnite World Cup was won by Kyle Bugha Gearsdorf (2019). He was awarded $3 million for his accomplishment, making him one of the world’s top 10 richest cyber athletes. As of June 2021, Fortnite still feels fantastic in Cybersport. Amateur contests as well as new seasons of the Fortnite Champion Series events, begin each year. There are many bookies, and among them, you may place bets on Vulkan, Fortnite, and other cybersports and competitions.
2. Dota 2
Prize money totaling $230.8 million
There are 1487 tournaments with rewards.
2013 is the year of publishing.
Creator: Valve
Type: MOBA
Although Dota2 esports betting may not have the largest gaming population, it does have the highest World Cup prize fund. The International was not conducted in the spring of 2020, and Valve ticked off all majors and minors until the end of the year as a result of logistical issues. Dota’s viewing hours decreased by 11% (to 253.3 million) as a result. The pandemic’s most well-liked events were those held in Europe, as players from the CIS started to participate. The Dota Pro Circuit system will resurface in 2021 with a severely condensed format. Valve established regional leagues in place of majors and regional qualifiers, cutting the number of majors to two. However, the International went on as planned and drew 2.7 million viewers, 700,000 more than TI9. The $40 million prize fund for the Dota 2 competition. Powerplay lets you wager on eSports.
3. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Prize money totaling $110.5 million
There are 5481 tournaments with rewards.
2012 is the year of publishing.
Creator: Valve
The genre is first-person team shooter.
Similar to Dota, the focus of Counter-Strike is centered on sizable international competitions, a condition that has generated issues ever since the pandemic began. Additionally, Valorant has put strong competition for the shooter in place, and cybersports athletes from the United States and other parts of Europe are fleeing in droves. However, CS: GO has been shown to be more reliable than Dota 2. Despite the scenes’ issues, viewers continue to watch the competitions actively. There are numerous competitions, leagues, and championships for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The World Electronic Sports Games are foremost among these. The PGL Major Stockholm 2021, the most recent major seventeenth Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament, attracted a prize pool of $2.
Looking at some of the most successful eSports teams in Canada
eSports is a relatively new phenomenon in Canada, but in the short history of eSports in the country, they have had three great franchises thus far. It has enabled them to compete on the international stage with some of eSports’ best teams. We should note that eSports, unlike traditional sports, do not rely on a player’s nationality. It means the teams are based on how well they work together to secure titles for their country. Due to this fact, Canada has done better in the personal arena than in the team format of eSports.
The standout teams so far include;
- Luminosity Gaming ($1,34,382 prize winnings)
- Vancouver Titans ($350,000 prize winnings)
- Team NP (224,000 prize winnings)
Many sportsbooks offer eSports betting lines where you can place wagers on teams or individual players.
The parent firm of Team Liquid, aXiomatic, revealed on Thursday that a Series C investment round had brought in $26 million. NBA great Michael Jordan, owner of the Charlotte Hornets, and David Rubenstein’s family firm, Declaration Capital, are two new investors who have joined the ownership group.
According to Ted Leonsis, whose own Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup earlier this year, “perhaps no other organization has the championship heritage as we do with Michael and with Magic.” He mentions that he earned a championship ring for both the Capitals’ triumph and Team Liquid’s victory in the Dota 2 tournament at The International 2017, which brought in $11 million in prize money for the winning team. In 2022, the greatest Counter-Strike player in Canada is Keith “NAF” Markovic, who also belongs to Team Liquid.
Here’s a quick look at How to bet on Esports in Canada?
Esports betting is very similar to conventional sports betting on a game. The main distinction is that all wagers are made online. Of course, you’ll bet on the individual or team you think will prevail. But you should do a few things first to enhance your experience and your chances of winning.
- Review the website’s gaming policies before playing. Don’t assume it’s the same as every other website. Different sites have different rules. Read the terms and conditions and familiarize yourself with the wagering specifications. Check the payment policy as well. When winners are revealed, reputable sites immediately deposit their winnings into their accounts. Payouts to winners can take days on certain subpar sites. Play only with reputable vendors.
- Don’t merely wager on a team you want to win. Expert gamblers research the teams. They are aware of each team’s records. You can determine which team is the greatest by looking at their winning percentage, winning players, and game history. Even professionals can lose. However, they employ sound tactics and win their fair share of the trophies.
- Be discerning. Esports games are in the thousands. There are numerous options for placing bets. Before you wager on a game, make sure you understand. Ask someone or get in touch with the online casino’s customer service division if you still do not understand. Of course, you won’t wager on each one. Play just the games you are familiar with and can understand. Spend some time getting to know a new game before you give it a try. Never place a blind wager.
- Be wise. In an effort to win large, don’t wager more than you can afford. Try making a social wager with friends for presents or services rather than cash if you’re new to betting. Be sensible when you are ready to take a financial risk. Electronic games and bets are intended to be enjoyable. Keep them in this state.
There are few to no betting sites in Canada that offer eSport betting. The best betting sites to make your wagers on eSports are situated outside of Canada because of the regulations in various provinces. Join a reputable betting site like bitcasino.io to place bets.
Some of the best eSports players in Canada
Everyone wants to be part of eSports these days, and the amount of players is growing daily. There have been over 500 players who have won at least $3K – $2 million while playing an eSport. Those are some impressive numbers, which keep changing as more Canadians enter the eSport arena.
The top players in Canada are as follows;
1. Artour ‘Arteezy’ Babaev( $2,253,053 winnings)
With 5,83,000 Twitch followers at the age of 23, Vancouver-based Babaev has established himself as one of the community’s most well-liked streamers. He has made over $2 million in profits throughout his career, playing the roles of Carry and Solo Middle in Dota 2.
His performance with Evil Geniuses in the International 2019 last year, where they placed fifth and sixth, was a recent high point. During his match against Vici Gaming, Babaev performed a spectacular performance by going on a solo rampage against five foes.
2. Kurtis ‘Aui-2000′ Ling ($2,002,778 winnings)
Ling became the 20th-highest-earning esports player in the world in 2018. With his career, dropping out of the University of British Columbia to devote himself to Dota 2 full-time was the right decision. After all, he has already earned US$1.8 million in prize money, which is more than he would have as a sociology student.
Ling was replaced by Artour Babaev on the Evil Geniuses team after they won the 2015 International for an unspecified reason. After failing to find any success with his own squad, Digital Chaos, Ling briefly rejoined Evil Geniuses before being expelled once more. After switching between a few teams, Ling is now playing Position 5 and serving as captain for team CR4ZY (Speed Gaming, Cloud 9).
3. Williams ‘Zayt’ Aubin ($1,118,166)
Williams “Zayt” Aubin, a 20-year-old Quebec native who presently broadcasts for NRG Esports North America, is a Fortnite player. Aubin has achieved great success in the Fortnite community by qualifying for the World Cup four times, winning the Duo FNCS, and taking first place at the ESL Katowice tournament.
Zayt has won just over $1 million in total from 39 tournaments, and his Twitch viewership, which has 165,000 followers right now, is constantly expanding.
4. Thomas ‘Elevate’ Krueger ($987,708.20)
Elevate uploaded a photo of himself and his mother to Twitter in June while sporting a white Oxford cap, a broad grin, and the phrase “Officially Graduated Online School.” The next step for the majority of kids would be to submit college applications, but that is not necessary.
As a participant in the first Fortnite World Cup last summer, Elevate, then 17 years old, took home US$2.4 million; not bad for taking third place. (Put the green-eyed cat with the money-envy eyes back in the bag; he shared the winnings with Ceice, his rival.) While Fortnite was Elevate’s 2019 ticket to the elite 100 Thieves organization, the Calgary-born esports athlete now seems to be finding brighter pastures elsewhere. On June 21, this tweet was seen: I’m dying to play some bravery when I come home.
5. Jacky ‘EternalEnvy’ Mao ($976,099.69)
It’s difficult to acquire a clear picture of Jacky “EternaLEnvy” Mao’s current situation. He finally returned to Cloud9 after being barred from Dota 2’s standard competitive matchmaking last year. And just as it appeared that he was about to significantly increase his career earnings total of over $1 million, Cloud9 announced this past April that it was releasing its entire Dota 2 roster.
EternaLEnvy’s tweets, such as “I feel like it’s so hard to sleep with noise now, yet I could sleep through every class,” may indicate that he is engaging in his enthusiasm for anime or that he is attending class. Whatever the situation, there’s no doubting that, at the age of 28, EternaLEnvy—famous for being one of Dota 2’s most colorfully contentious players—is probably forced to make some difficult decisions regarding his future.
As you can see, playing eSports can be very lucrative with the right skills.
Major tournaments
Esports doesn’t have a localized character, as was already mentioned. Concurrences happen everywhere and typically online or at numerous locations.
Since the new coronavirus pandemic began in February 2020, numerous organizations have opted to switch to an online business strategy. ESL, Blast Pro, and DreamHack are three of the most well-known esports tournament organizing firms that have all switched to online or LAN tournaments.
While the pandemic continues in two brand games that have historically been played in physical stadiums in North America, the Overwatch League and the Call of Duty League have made the decision to follow the example and create an online framework.
The Fortnite World Cup and The International, the two major competitions for Canadian esports teams and players, have been delayed by Fortnite and Dota 2. On an undetermined date in 2021, both events were replaced. League of Legends also decided to postpone League of Legends Worlds, the video game community’s participation in the American Super Bowl, until the COVID-19 cases could be controlled.
When it comes to Starcraft II, with his outstanding skill, Jaedong was trying his best to maintain the game engaging and widespread while it gave way to other developing esports titles. Between 2007 and 2011, he enjoyed one of the most dominant four-year runs, winning three World Cyber Games titles and two MBC Game Star leagues. His heated competition with other top all-time talent Flash has helped keep Starcraft relevant, with championships held worldwide and in South Korea.
Events for both Counter-Strike and Rainbow Six: Siege is presently only available online. However, hosts only accept Tier One teams—companies with a solid track record who can be sure they won’t use illegal software when using the remote—to the game. In Canada, there are currently at least three organizations that put on small-scale competitions and activities to support the neighborhood. OeSL (Ontario ESP), Red Bull, and the ESP Canada League are a few of them (CEL).
Final Thoughts
The popularity of eSports is overgrowing in Canada. International tournament held around the year, including the ESL, Dreamhack, Overwatch league, and the Call of Duty league are just some of the breathtaking competitions held each year. As more young and talented players get involved in eSports, the better it will be for Canada, and in the future, Canada can become one of the eSport hubs for gamers worldwide.
