Esports are exploding across Canada, and Queen’s gamers are levelling up with it.
According to Statistics Canada, the country ranks tenth in the world for Esports gaming revenue, with Canadian Esports players having won $45,484,915.21 USD in total, a market projected to generate $152.8 million USD in 2025, growing to $185.2 million USD by 2029, with betting making up the largest share. By then, more than 15 million Canadians are expected to be active users, reflecting both rising investment in local tournaments and a push to foster homegrown talent.
For many Queen’s players, the real payoff isn’t financial, it’s the competition, camaraderie, and pride of representing their school.
Established in 2016, Queen’s Esports Club/Association (QEA) fields around 100 competitive members across nine different games, with each game featuring 1-5 teams and all teams competing in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC)—playing weekly matches against schools across North America. But for QEA Co-Chairs, Kushaal Dutta, CompSci ’26, and William Hatcher, Eng ’26, Esports at Queen’s is about much more than just playing video games; it’s about a student-run community where competition, leadership, and connection all come together.
“Our mission is simple: to build a community of like-minded individuals at Queen’s. Whether someone wants to compete at the highest level or just find friends who share their passion, Queen’s Esports provides a place for students to connect,” Hatcher wrote in a statement to The Journal. “In the long term, we aim to secure dedicated space on campus and continue attracting new talent, further solidifying esports as a recognized and thriving part of student life.”
On the competitive side, Queen’s fields teams in major titles such as Rocket League, League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant, Overwatch 2, Counter-Strike 2, Marvel Rivals, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends. In 2023, QEA achieved standout results: the Rainbow Six Siege team placed 2nd in both the Fall and Spring Conferences, the League of Legends team took 1st in the Spring Conference, and the Call of Duty team finished in the top 16 in North America.
Building on that success, the 2025 Rocket League team captured the Ontario Campus Carball League title, competing against the top schools across the province, while the Marvel Rivals team placed in the top 16 across North America.
“Our teams are consistently among the strongest in Canada, and the club places a strong emphasis on competitive excellence,” Hatcher said. “At the same time, we make space for all students to get involved through weekly intramural events, which rotate across these games and welcome players of every skill level.”
QEA is entirely student-run according to Hatcher, with members taking on “significant leadership roles, from managing teams and running events, to shaping the overall direction of the association.” Hatcher explains how this creates opportunities for students to develop not only as players, but also as organizers, leaders, and collaborators.
As former Game Director of Rainbow Six Seige, Dutta notes how QEA has given him a lot of transferable skills—discipline, focus, and the ability to perform under pressure, to name a few—he carries into other parts of life. “I also think Esports at Queen’s has huge potential to keep growing, not just as competition, but as a way to build community and connect students who share the same passion,” Dutte wrote in a statement to The Journal.
Hatcher’s journey into Esports took a serious turn during the pandemic. “Since COVID, I started playing video games more competitively, so getting involved with Queen’s Esports was a natural step when I came to university,” he said. “Starting out as a player gave me a firsthand appreciation for how much potential the community had, and from there I was motivated to take on leadership roles.”
For Dutta, gaming has always been a big part of his life. “I chose to get involved with Esports at Queen’s because gaming has been a big part of my life for a long time,” he said. “I started competing back in 2009 at age 5 with Counter-Strike: Source and later switched to Rainbow Six Siege in 2015, where I’ve been fortunate enough to achieve USD $29 000 in prize winnings over the past 10 years.”
Dutta’s story reflects a broader trend at Queen’s, where competitive drive blends with a sense of belonging in a fast-growing national scene.
As Esports continues to surge across Canada, Queen’s players see themselves as part of something bigger than just the games they play.
For leaders like Dutta and Hatcher, the growing success of QEA proves that competitive excellence and community can go hand in hand, pushing Queen’s Esports to new heights while giving students a place to connect, compete, and belong.
Tags
Club Sports, eSports, NECC, QEA
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