How popular is gaming in Toronto and other Canadian cities in 2022?

The gaming industry has become a favourite sector for those who are seeking the best in entertainment. In 2020, the industry grossed more than USD 175 billion, making it one of the most lucrative sectors in the world. For its part, Canada has become one of the world’s leading consumers of video games, making the country one of the top targets for developers around the globe. Here we tell you how Canada is preparing to become one of the world’s leading gaming centres.

Canada’s video game industry 

It is fair to say that the world of video games is an extremely lucrative business in Canada. In 2020, the industry had a turnover of USD 5.5 billion, representing 23% of the region’s gross domestic product. At the same time, at least 63% of Canadians claim to have played a sort of electronic game by 2021.

The figures seem logical. During 2020 and 2021, online and home-based entertainment mechanisms were given a powerful boost. Thus, the industry not only found its way into the home of Canadian enthusiasts, but also raised the expectations of technology lovers thanks to the development of virtual reality and the Metaverse, which is increasingly gaining momentum, and currently building its own society, economy and rules.

This furore even reached the betting world at the best online casino in Canada, and other online sport betting sites, where it is becoming increasingly common to find sections dedicated exclusively to esports and video-games such as Counter-Strike Global Offensive, DOTA 2 and Call of Duty War Zone.

It is clear that Gaming consolidation is a process that is set to continue over time. While 2020 already showed strong signs of industry expansion, 2021 showed a year-on-year growth of 11.12%. This strong growth can be explained by video games on smart devices, which represent the most popular sector among Canadian fans and the world at large. Just in Canada, mobile gaming generated USD 643 million, almost half of the sector’s entire annual turnover in the country.

The industry in the city of Toronto

It is already clear that Canada appears to be on its way to becoming one of the world’s gaming capitals. Despite this, the case of Toronto seems to be worthy of attention. One fact that has put the city in the public eye of the industry is precisely the accentuation of the developer Ubisoft in the city. The Canadian studio has been responsible for the creation of several of the firm’s AAA games, including Far Cry 6, Watch Dogs 2, and Assassin’s Creed Unity.

Toronto is currently the development home for the much-anticipated Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Remake, which will feature Snowdrop graphics technology, the same used in the company’s other major projects such as The Division, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Although details such as the release date, the progress of the project or which platforms it will be available on are still unknown, the truth is that its simple announcement was more than enough to capture the attention of the gaming community.

Thus, Toronto is set to be the centre of attention for gaming fans in 2022, all while fans await further announcements from the major development houses, and the news that Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo 2022 and Calgary Expo 2022 may bring.

 

 

About Joel Levy 2542 Articles
Editor-In-Chief at Toronto Guardian. Photographer and Writer for Toronto Guardian and Joel Levy Photography