Twitter has for some time been a hub for enthusiasts, media, and professionals to discuss the ever-changing landscape of video games. In 2020, the conversations surrounding esports continued on a steady rise, especially in Canada.
In 2020, more than two billion tweets surrounding video games were sent across the world. 59 percent of Canadian gamers use Twitter on a daily basis to engage with the industry and share their thoughts. Esports as a whole has seen a steep boom in conversations on Twitter, according to new stats provided by Twitter Canada.
Last year, high profile esports titles and their respective leagues like Overwatch and League of Legends were amongst the most talked about esports titles. However, Call of Duty by and large was the most prolific of the bunch. In fact, Call of Duty League held the number one spot of most popular esports leagues based on tweet volume in Canada.
The top five leagues are as followed:
- Call of Duty League
- Overwatch League
- League of Legends Championship Series
- League of Legends European Championship
- NBA 2K League
Aside from Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty was the most mentioned game on Twitter by Canada. On top of the release of the Warzone battle royale and Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War, Call of Duty League pushed the conversation on the social media platform.
In July, conversations regarding Toronto Ultra spiked. The team gained its first tournament victory during the Toronto Ultra Home Series. In 2020, Toronto Ultra team member Anthony “Methodz” Zinni had the most account mentions. Toronto Ultra became one of the most discussed esports organizations in Canada on Twitter.
Twitter Canada provided the top five most mentioned esports teams:
- FaZe Clan
- Team SoloMid
- 100 Thieves
- Toronto Ultra
- G2 Esports
“Esports is definitely a content category that’s not only is gaining momentum within Twitter but also amongst our Canadian brand and media partners,” says Conor Clarance, head of sports partnerships, Twitter Canada. “It’s definitely a massive conversation globally, and unsurprisingly we’re also seeing Canadians coming to Twitter to join conversations around Canadian teams like Toronto Ultra and the deep roster of homegrown talent across leagues. With many major Canadians brands now playing in the space, our team is definitely seeing a heightened knowledge and enthusiasm for tapping into Canadian esports content on the service.”
These strong trends may continue in 2021. The Call of Duty League season begins on Feb. 11 – Feb. 14 as Toronto Ultra is once again representing Canada.
Elsewhere, Canadian teams such as Toronto Defiant and Vancouver Titans, who both represent Canada in Overwatch League, are scheduled to begin playing in the new season in April.