Toronto eSports is booming and has become better than ever, according to new data by Twitter Canada. Call of Duty and Overwatch are the two most popular games that Canadians are tweeting about. This is according to the data recently released by Twitter Canada. Based on the data, 85% of Canadians have tweeted about Call of Duty and 63% of Canadians have tweeted about Overwatch. One of the best things to come out of the Overwatch League is the increase in popularity of esports in general. There are now two pro-leagues franchises in Toronto Esports, the Toronto Ultra and Toronto Defiant. And, there are now Overwatch World Cup qualifiers in Toronto.
Twitter as a Gaming Channel
Twitter is an important channel when it comes to the gaming industry. According to a recent study by the Entertainment Software Association, 59% of Canadian gamers say that they use Twitter on a daily basis. Twitter is the fastest, easiest way to get the latest news, updates and content from the gaming world. Majority of the gaming companies use Twitter to communicate with their fans and followers. You can also access all their latest news, updates and announcements on your timeline.
In recent years, there has been a boom in the popularity of competitive gaming (or esports) with games like Fortnite and PUBG. This has led to a rise in the number of people watching esports on sites like Twitch and YouTube Gaming.
Top titles drive conversations not just from everyday gamers but from spectators, too. A great example of this is the esports community that has grown around games like Dota 2. The games became so popular that people started watching other people play the game. The gamers was able to take on a life of its own outside of the game itself. Brands like OverActive Media and Luminosity Gaming are helping to bring esports to the mainstream. They have local teams in Toronto and Vancouver plus partnerships with some of the biggest brands in the country.
Canada’s most popular esports leagues were the following:
- Call of Duty League
- Overwatch League
- League of Legends Championship Series
- League of Legends European Championship
- NBA 2K League
This year, the Call of Duty League was the most talked about esports league on social media. The league was created as a result of the Call of Duty World League (CWL) in 2017. The CWL is an esports league that was initially created by Activision to organize and run esports competitions for its Call of Duty game in 2016. The league has been integral in driving tens of thousands of Canadian Tweets each day for the last several years. Their advocacy has helped launch the careers of several young Canadian players. The Canadian conversation grew by 32% year-over-year.
Keep Coming Back for Toronto ESports
Canadians will keep on coming back to Twitter this year as the Toronto Defiant and the Vancouver Titans will be competing in the League. After a spectacular first season in 2019, where they won the OWL Championship, Vancouver Titans took a step back in 2020. That's why they didn't make it to the postseason.
Last season, both the Titans and Defiant were so close to making it to the Overwatch League playoffs. The Titans were up 2-0 against the Houston Outlaws in their semi-final but then lost the next two matches. The Defiant couldn’t close out their match against the Fusion in their semi-final.
Canada is home to many professional esports teams and players. Besides to our teams in Toronto and Vancouver, there are dozens of Canada esports stars playing in various leagues worldwide. In fact, many people don’t even know that there is a professional Overwatch League for gamers to compete in and win big prizes. Many stay locked to Twitter 24/7 and are top follows for real-time commentary, game play highlights and other unique content.
