The popularity of video games like League of Legends and Fortnite has helped spur the growth of esports. The opportunities to compete in tournaments and play professionally have never been better. As a nation of sports enthusiasts, it makes sense that Canadians have become a significant competitor in the esports scene.
The top esports teams in Canada are Astralis, Rogue, Cloud9, and Team Liquid. These teams and players should be on your radar if you’re interested in esports. Moreover, you should read BetMGM review of 2022 regarding the esports scene in Canada, especially if you are thinking of placing a bet on the action that takes place in the near future.
The following article will explore Canada’s most popular and exciting esport games. A total prize pool and the number of regular and occasional broadcast viewers were considered when rating these games.
Fortnite
The popularity of Fortnite is not in question, the most watched game on Twitch. Epic Games (the creators of “Fortnite”) have been pushing to get the game into mainstream media since its launch and are succeeding by leaps and bounds. In the 2018-2019 season, the prize pool for esports tournaments was $100 million. This is compared to $12 million for League of Legends tournaments over the same period.
The Fortnite Prize pool is $99 million, with 673 tournaments offering prizes. The game was released in 2017 and developed by Epic Games.
Kyle Bugha Gearsdorf won the Fortnite World Cup (2019), receiving $3 million for his achievement and becoming one of the world’s ten richest cyber athletes.
CS: GO
Counter-Strike was initially centered on large international tournaments, but since the start of the Pandemic, the situation has changed considerably. Valorant has become a serious competitor to Counter-Strike, as American and European cyber-sportsmen are leaving en masse to play the new game.
Despite ongoing scene problems and scandals, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) continues to draw spectators. The most recent Major seventeenth CS: GO tournament, the PGL Major Stockholm 2021, attracted a prize pool of $2 million.
The total prize money in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is $110.5 million, with 5481 tournaments offering prizes. Developed by Valve Corporation, the game is a first-person team shooter.
Dota 2
Dota2 has the largest prize pool for the World Cup, but the game’s community is not as large as some other popular esports games. The International was not conducted in the spring of 2020, and Valve ticked off all majors and minors until the end of the year due to logistical issues. Dota’s watching hours reduced by 11% (to 253.3 million).
The Pandemic’s most well-liked events were those held in Europe, as teams from the CIS started to participate. The Dota Pro Circuit system restarted in 2021 with a severely condensed configuration. Valve established regional leagues in place of majors and regional qualifiers, reducing the number of majors to two.
Conclusion
The popularity of e-sports has grown exponentially, and many people see it as a way to play and make a living. Professional gamers have the opportunity to compete in tournaments all over the world for top cash prizes in front of thousands of screaming fans. Though some consider e-sports to be a ‘kids’ pastime,’ many see the potential that esports have as an official sport.
