J. Clement
Research lead covering internet and gaming
Video gaming is one of the biggest media segments worldwide and the Canadian market is no exception – in 2022, video games accounted for the vast majority of digital media revenues in Canada and are projected to do so for the foreseeable future. While often receiving less individual attention than the gaming market of the neighboring United States, the Canadian video game landscape stands on its own and is home to a unique, world-class video gaming industry.
According to 2022 survey data, action and casual games were the most popular gaming genres in Canada and a growing number of Canadian gamers played online games. It was found that child and teen gamers in Canada were more likely to play video games with others than adult gamers and the main reason for Canadian gamers to play video games online was to interact with others, followed by competing against other gamers.
Canadian gamers are valuable audiences for soft-launching mobile games for Western markets – for many gaming companies, the Canadian gaming market is an ideal testing ground as it is English-speaking, solvent, and culturally as well as physically close to the United States.
The biggest gaming companies in Canada include Ubisoft (headquartered in Paris), whose Canadian development studios have significantly impacted the global gaming industry. Ubisoft Montreal is the principal developer for games in series including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs, among many others, and has led to other U.S.-based gaming companies also establishing studios in Montreal, which has led to an abundance of video gaming talent in the province.
EA Vancouver is the Canadian base for Electronic Arts (headquartered in California) and is home to the development of EA Sports franchises, including the chart-topping FIFA soccer simulation series, as well as the NHL and UFC series.
Another significant player is Canadian studio BioWare, which was founded in Alberta and acquired by EA in 2007. BioWare has developed some of the most popular RPG series worldwide – Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Baldur Gate, and fan-favorite Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Another home-grown success story is Behavior Interactive, developer of the horror game Dead by Daylight and provider of work-for-hire development services to other entertainment or gaming industry brands including Disney, HBO, Sony, and Nintendo.
Despite this presence of industry heavyweights, more than half of the video game industry in Canada is composed of micro-sized companies with fewer than four employees, and many small and mid-size developers from Canada have also gained international recognition for their award-winning games.
The size of the Canadian gaming market
When comparing major digital gaming markets based on revenue, Canada is ranked behind France but ahead of Australia. The annual digital games revenue in Canada amounts to 4.68 billion U.S. dollars, with mobile gaming being the top-grossing gaming segment. Like in many major markets, digital gaming sales have long overtaken physical sales in terms of revenue and are projected to reach 4.4 billion U.S. dollars annually in 2027.Canadian gaming audiences and their preferences
In 2022, there were approximately 16.4 million gamers in Canada, with gaming audiences being evenly distributed as men and women accounted for about half of the gamers each. Almost eight in ten Canadian internet users played video games using any device, and smartphones were the most popular option for gamers to choose.According to 2022 survey data, action and casual games were the most popular gaming genres in Canada and a growing number of Canadian gamers played online games. It was found that child and teen gamers in Canada were more likely to play video games with others than adult gamers and the main reason for Canadian gamers to play video games online was to interact with others, followed by competing against other gamers.
Canadian gamers are valuable audiences for soft-launching mobile games for Western markets – for many gaming companies, the Canadian gaming market is an ideal testing ground as it is English-speaking, solvent, and culturally as well as physically close to the United States.
Canadian Twitch streamers at the top
In Canada, streaming platforms like Twitch or YouTube Gaming are only moderately popular. A fall 2022 survey indicated that only 14 percent of Canadian gamers streamed on video streaming sites, and about 26 percent of respondents watched such broadcasts. Despite the low reach in their home market, Canadian streamers rank among the most-followed accounts on Twitch worldwide. The most popular Twitch streamer from Canada was Félix Lengyel, better known as xQc. The former Overwatch pro had about 11.4 million Twitch followers as of January 2023. Other well-known Canadian streamers include Michael Grzesiek, aka shroud, and Imane Anys, better known as Pokimane (who is also the most-followed female streamer on Twitch).Spotlight: games made in Canada are popular worldwide
Canada is home to a major video game industry. In 2021, there were 937 video game companies in Canada, and four out of five video game companies in Canada were located in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.The biggest gaming companies in Canada include Ubisoft (headquartered in Paris), whose Canadian development studios have significantly impacted the global gaming industry. Ubisoft Montreal is the principal developer for games in series including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs, among many others, and has led to other U.S.-based gaming companies also establishing studios in Montreal, which has led to an abundance of video gaming talent in the province.
EA Vancouver is the Canadian base for Electronic Arts (headquartered in California) and is home to the development of EA Sports franchises, including the chart-topping FIFA soccer simulation series, as well as the NHL and UFC series.
Another significant player is Canadian studio BioWare, which was founded in Alberta and acquired by EA in 2007. BioWare has developed some of the most popular RPG series worldwide – Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Baldur Gate, and fan-favorite Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Another home-grown success story is Behavior Interactive, developer of the horror game Dead by Daylight and provider of work-for-hire development services to other entertainment or gaming industry brands including Disney, HBO, Sony, and Nintendo.
Despite this presence of industry heavyweights, more than half of the video game industry in Canada is composed of micro-sized companies with fewer than four employees, and many small and mid-size developers from Canada have also gained international recognition for their award-winning games.
