As the world of e-sports continues to develop, more and more sports-themed online games emerge. For Canadian gaming enthusiasts, the options are endless. From basketball to hockey, soccer to football, esports leagues and tournaments exist for just about every sport you can imagine. In this article, we’ll be exploring the top sports games with esports presence in Canada as well as analyzing the competitive scene for each.
Top Esports Leagues in Canada
NBA 2K
Without a doubt, the most popular basketball esport in Canada is NBA 2K21. The game offers an immersive experience of playing basketball and allows players to create their teams and players. It is available on multiple platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. The NBA 2K League is a professional league officially backed by the NBA and features top players from around the world. The league’s most recent season had teams competing for a total prize pool of $1.4 million and was streamed on Twitch to millions of viewers. In addition to the League, there are also many other tournaments and leagues for NBA 2K players, including the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) 2K tournament.
NHL
Moving on to hockey, NHL 21 is the go-to esport for Canadian hockey fans: an ice hockey simulation game developed by EA Sports. The game offers an immersive experience of playing ice hockey and allows players to control their favorite teams and players. It is available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
The NHL Gaming World Championship is the premier NHL e-sports tournament, with a total prize pool of $100,000. The tournament is open to players from around the world and features both 1v1 and 6v6 gameplay modes. In addition to the NHL Gaming World Championship, there are also many other NHL 21 tournaments and leagues for players to compete in, including the popular NHLGWC Regional Play-in Tournaments.
Soccer
Soccer fans haven’t been left out either, as FIFA 21 is one of the most popular sports-themed e-sports in the world. It is a football simulation game developed by EA Sports. The game allows players to control their favorite football teams and participate in various competitions, including online matches. FIFA 21 is available on multiple platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. The FIFA eWorld Cup is the official FIFA e-sports championship and features players from around the globe competing for a prize pool of $500,000. In Canada, FIFA players can also compete in the Canadian ePremier league.
The only way to get the rush of playing online sports games is by having stakes, as all the competitors know. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the stakes at these esports tournaments are as high as they could get, however, some streamers have been proving this wrong in recent years. While the streaming of online slots isn’t a conventional eSport like those listed above, it has garnered a lot of popularity in recent years. Streamers like Trainwreckstv have racked up thousands of concurrent views as he wagers enormous amounts on Canadian online slots. There are many overlaps with the esports world when you consider the huge stakes on the line while they play and the platforms that have helped to popularize both forms of entertainment.
Honorable Mentions
- Rocket League: a very unique game that combines football and racing. Players control rocket-powered cars and compete in football matches with rocket-powered balls. Rocket League offers an engaging and challenging gameplay experience and is available on multiple platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
- Madden NFL 21: a football simulation game developed by EA Sports. The game allows players to control their favourite football teams and players and participate in various competitions. Madden NFL 21 is available on multiple platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
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