Canada to host
Call of Duty’s
world championship
for the first time
Though he’s represented Toronto in the eSports arena since 2021, Jamie 'Insight' Craven has never played a major tournament in front of a home crowd.
That’s about to change.
Though he’s represented Toronto in the eSports arena since 2021, Jamie “Insight” Craven has never played a major tournament in front of a home crowd.
That’s about to change.
From June 26th to 29th, the Call of Duty League Championship is coming to the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, marking the first time the annual gaming world championship event will be hosted outside of the United States.
“Think of it like the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA finals; this is the one event that everyone competes for throughout the year,” says the professional gamer and Toronto Ultra team member. “We grind all season for a spot, and to go there to have a chance of winning the world title means everything to us as players.”
The four-player team that ultimately prevails will take home a $2-million grand prize and the title of world champions. Last year, that was host OpTic Texas, after Toronto Ultra was eliminated in the semi-finals, finishing third in the 12-team league.
“To actually have the crowd with you, it almost gives you a fifth man on the field,” Craven says. “The energy is just electric, and it really does translate into the game, because as a competitor, every edge – even just one per cent – is huge.”
Since the team was founded in 2019, those crowds have been steadily building, says team owner and OverActive Media Co-founder and CEO Adam Adamou. With an expected attendance of over 20,000 across the championship weekend, the upcoming Call of Duty League Championship will be the biggest the country has ever seen.
“Single day passes range from $30 to $70, four-day passes range from $170 to $299, and all of our most expensive tickets have already sold out,” Adamou says. “About 60 per cent of the people that come to our majors in Toronto come from outside the GTA region, and many of them come from the United States and Europe, so that obviously is just a huge boost to tourism.”
According to a study conducted by the local tourism board, Explore Waterloo Region, the championship weekend will generate an estimated $12-million in economic activity. Adamou adds that even though the team is based in Toronto many of its most dedicated fans are based outside the country.
“Starting at zero in 2019, across all of our [social media and digital] channels and teams, we've got a total combined fan base of about 100 million people,” he says. “That includes Canada and the U.S., but we are big across Europe – and in particular, Spain – and that extends into Mexico and Latin America, where we have seen tremendous fan growth across those markets, and then over in Asia as well, where we have a lot of fans in China and Korea.”
The digital nature of eSports means teams like Toronto Ultra and players like Jamie Craven can attract and connect directly with fans around the world, further adding to the economic value of playing host.
“It's kind of like the Olympics; the tournament is global, but if you have the Olympics in a particular city, there's going to be a benefit to that city,” Adamou explains. “People compare it to sports, but it's really a hybrid between video games, sport and [content creators] like streamers and social media influencers.”
Combining those three elements, Adamou says, allows eSports to reach a new generation of fans in ways never before possible, while its live events provide parents a unique opportunity to share in those interests.
“It gives your child a chance to bring you into the world they inhabit on a daily basis, in terms of video games but also streamers and influencers,” he says. “Let them show you what it is that they're doing in their room every day when you’re yelling at them to come down for dinner; that can be a tremendous bonding opportunity.”