Video gaming is exploding in regions across the world, and Canada is proving to be at the epicenter of the boom. Home to several leading game development studios, Canada has a rich and diverse gaming industry that has grown by 23% since 2019 and now contributes $5.5 billion to the country’s total GDP (The Entertainment Software Association of Canada). From the powerhouse studios that are driving the global growth of gaming to the developing markets that will take Canadian gaming in exciting new directions, in this article, we’ll be diving into video gaming in Canada.
An Innovative and Critical Export Center
With a substantial 937 active game development studios currently based or headquartered in Canada (a figure which, in itself, represents a 35% increase on industry stats from 2019). Video gaming in Canada represents “an innovative and critical export centre”, according to Jayson Hichie of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada.
Digital innovation is clearly at the heart of Canadian video gaming, and that in turn is fostering significant entrepreneurial growth throughout the country. In total, the gaming companies based in Montreal, Quebec and elsewhere support over 55,000 Canadian jobs from coast to coast as well as a further 23,000 posts in the wider economy.
It could even be argued that the success of the industry here is driving other countries to adopt similar economic strategies. It’s no secret that our video gaming industry has a global reputation for being a leader in the development of top-selling titles. Games like EA’s FIFA franchise, BioWare’s Mass Effect series, Ubisoft’s Far Cry series and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal) have all been designed and made in Canada.
Amongst the studios present in the country, we see the likes of Behavior Interactive, Relic Entertainment, EA Full Circle, Square Enix and Compulsion Games. And that’s without mentioning the hundreds of indie gaming developers and studios that will continue to sustain expansion and development in the industry as the years progress.
Making its Mark on Competitive Gaming
It’s not just video games that are strengthening Canada’s position as a leader in the gaming industry, competitive video gaming is also helping the country to make its mark.
The iGaming market on Canadian shores is rapidly expanding, with online casino, poker and sports betting platforms set to launch in Ontario from spring/summer 2022. Already popular with gamers in other cities throughout the country, titles like Vikings Go Wild introduce players to the world of real money gaming.
Ontario is, of course, the country’s most populous province, so the launch of online gaming and betting on April 4th represents a milestone for the market. According to a report released by the Canadian Gaming Association, in 2021 almost 20 million gamers were engaged in online poker and casino activities, and that number is set to grow during 2022.
Although initially iGaming in the province will begin with poker gaming as its own segregated market, we can expect casino gaming and sports betting to follow in the months to come.
eSports too is another market that is ensuring the future of gaming in Canada. Having moved from being a niche market to a burgeoning global industry worth in excess of $1 billion to date, eSports is blurring the lines between gaming as a form of entertainment and a competitive discipline.
No slouch when it comes to riding the wave of gaming trends, Canada has already been represented on the global stage by teams such as Toronto Defiant and Vancouver Titans. Team Canada snagged the coveted silver medal in the 2017 Overwatch World Cup, and Sasha ‘Scarlett’ Hostyn became the first woman to win a major StarCraft 2 championship at the IEM event in Pyeongchang.
On an organizational scale, it’s Toronto and Vancouver that are leading the way so far, with eSports organizations like Luminosity Gaming and OverActive Media being the most successful proponents of the sport. As eSports continues to blossom in popularity across the world, Canada is certainly well-placed to reap the rewards.
