Esports has grown at a rapid rate since the late 2000s, from LAN tournaments to international competitions, esports tournaments have come a long way. International Tournaments can now be compared to major sporting events with millions of viewers worldwide. Canadian esports teams and players have risen to prove that Canadian talent can contend with the best in the world. The audience for eSports in Canada is growing and so are the players.
Out of all the hundreds of teams and organizations that have sprung from the country, these organizations have proven that they are here to stay.
BEAT esports is one of the leaders in Canadian esports with internationally recognized events in Dota 2, Overwatch, Quake and PUBG. BEAT esports initially started with $100 and 10 viewers for their first tournament eventually running the first large scale Canadian Dota 2 event at the Bell Centre in Montreal. BEAT has received worldwide coverage from outlets such as ESPN, TSN & Score esports and many more. They are currently one of the most established esports tournament organizers in Canada with several dozen successful events under their belt. In addition to running their own events, they provide consulting and tournament organization services out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Waveform Entertainment is a full-service agency established with the core focus of providing clients with guidance and access to the gaming industry and virtual event space. They specifically handle media, production, agency and virtual events. Founded by a group of passionate gaming professionals, Waveform brings innovation, world-class production, and fresh ideas to the emerging market of esports. They have collaborated with many well known brands such as Twitch, Ubisoft, ASUS, Corsair, Herschel, Red Bull and many more. They have been involved in many properties & events too, the arguably most well known example is TwitchCon.
OverActive Media is a global esports entertainment company and is one of the largest esports ownership groups in Canada. They own franchises in each of the most important esports leagues and they are partnered with the largest publishers in the world.
Trivia: The Weeknd has been a part owner of OverActive Media since 2019.
Toronto Defiant is a subsidiary team of OverActive Media founded in 2018 and is a professional Overwatch eSports team. They compete in the Overwatch League and is one of the eight expansion teams in the Overwatch League in 2019.
Trivia: The name “Toronto Defiant” was chosen to “represent the strength, character, and resiliency of Toronto.”
Toronto Ultra is another subsidiary team of OverActive Media and is the official franchise team of Toronto, Canada for the premier Call of Duty League, organized by Activision. It succeeded Splyce, which competed in the same league from 2015 to 2019. Toronto Ultra’s main rival is Minnesota RØKKR, who they clash against in the “Battle of the North.”
Trivia: Toronto Ultra won 1st place in the Call of Duty League 2021 – Stage 2 Major, earning $200,00 worth of cash.
Vancouver Titans started as one of the expansion teams for the Overwatch League in 2019 and hit their stride right away, finishing as a finalist in the league in the same year. The team represents Vancouver, British Columbia and competes in the Western Division. Vancouver Titans is owned by Canucks Sports & Entertainment, the same owners of the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL (National Hockey League) and the Vancouver Warriors of the NLL (National Lacrosse League).
Trivia: They currently hold the record for the longest regular season win streak in the history of the Overwatch League, winning a total of 19 matches in a row.
Enthusiast Gaming is a digital media company that specializes in eSports and video game journalism. It is a network of gaming communities that manage talents. Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. is also building the largest media platform for video games and eSports fans to connect across the globe. The company owns several websites such as the Daily Esports, Destructoid, and Escapist Magazine. Enthusiast Gaming holds an annual gaming convention called the Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo (EGLX)..
Trivia: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (EGLX) recently opened a listing on the Nasdaq exchange and is now a publicly traded stock.
Luminosity Gaming, a subsidiary of Enthusiast Gaming, is one the largest eSports organizations in the world and has the highest earning eSports team in Canada through their CS:GO (Counter Strike: Global Offensive) team, earning $1,347,382 in 2020 from tournaments alone. Luminosity Gaming has garnered success across eSports leagues and has teams in Fortnite, Apex Legends, Super Smash Bros, Call of Duty, and Overwatch.
Trivia: The team was founded in 2015 by Steve “Buyaka” Maida. Their headquarters is in Toronto, Ontario
Ontario eSports League is the marquee brand and facilitator of both social and competitive gaming across Ontario. They have identified and targeted the Amateur eSports market, and claim to be the leading platform that is able to attract the mass gamers in Ontario and centralize each esport’s community. They facilitate organized, social and competitive eSports leagues, tournaments and events; and provide a platform for Amateur gamers to gain exposure and connect with professional organizations; as well as assist corporations in meeting their growing marketing objective to include the massive eSports audience.
BattleFy is a company that specializes in powering esports tournaments. They have been around since 2013, and have since then gained members worldwide and have helped over 100,000 esports leagues around the globe. They offer support and work together with the organizers of tournaments hosted through them, offer players of all levels the opportunity to compete in their favorite game, possibly win prizes and be an active part of the esports community, and they help games and brands engage the esports community.
theScore esports is one of the leading media companies in gaming coverage. They offer video features and news on games, esport teams, and gaming personalities. theScore also has a media app that deliver personalized live scores, news, stats, and information from eSports teams, leagues, and players. They also have a betting app called ‘theScore Bet’ where you can bet on your favorite teams.
UBC Esports Association is the only student-run and non-profit organization on this list. UBC Esports is a gaming club at the University of British Columbia. They support a variety of gaming communities and events, and host tournaments, mentorships, and contests. They help raise awareness of Vancouver’s esports scene and actively support local events. UBC Esports are trying to establish UBC students who enjoy gaming by facilitating interaction and communication for players online and offline.
GG Group is a digital media company focused on acquiring and developing prominent gaming-focused brands and entertainment properties. They are a group of diverse leaders in entertainment, media, tech, fashion, gaming, and professional sports. They own Chaos Esports Club and Do Not Peek Entertainment.
Some of their members are: Logic, Pusha-T, Upscale Vandal, Chris Zarou, Summer Watson and esports pioneers Billy Levy & Zack Zeldin
True North Esports is an esports platform for students that are looking to meaningfully connect gaming, academics, and life skills. They offer opportunities for students to engage in healthy esports competitions across schools that will be supervised by teachers. True North Esports help schools foster the foundation and develop skills related to critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and creativity through esports.
Esports Central is Montreal’s first esports entertainment complex. They offer world-class gaming facilities and hold tournaments, events, and even parties. They have created an esports community wherein gamers can connect, play, and interact with one another online and offline. They have partnered with Republic of Gamers, Redbull, Corsair, and other trusted gaming brands to provide gamers with a haven for gamers.
Are you thinking of starting your own eSports organization? Read our guides written by one of the founders of BEAT eSports on how to get started in eSports: