Strategic partnerships with Fan Expo and Vantrix to include events in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver for professional video gamers and game fans

TORONTO, May 19, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian League of Gamers (CLG) is pleased to announce the launch of Northern Arena, a world-class competition for professional gamers. Consisting of both live and online qualifiers throughout the year, Northern Arena will connect millions of gaming fans in Canada and around the world by streaming competitions globally and also hosting live spectator events across Canada. Northern Arena's 2016 competitions will culminate in Canada's largest professional eSports championship this November.

From September 1^st - 4^th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Northern Arena will co-locate with Fan Expo and the 120,000+ genre and gaming superfans that attend the event every year. In November, Northern Arena's 2016 Grand Finals will be held in Montreal. Live events will be streamed using Vantrix's 360 streaming virtual reality infrastructure, providing online viewers with a "live" vantage point while viewing the competitions.

Professional competitions will host 8-12 teams per event in either a PC, console or mobile game. Upcoming pros will have the chance to enter the pro competition in an open spot in each final, providing a unique opportunity to discover new talent in Canadian eSports.

Northern Arena's live events will host professional competitions, as well as a BYOC LAN party and weekend long gaming festival. Live events will allow fans to connect with professional eSports stars and see them in action. Amateur competitive gamers will have the chance to bring their own equipment, log into the local network and play against other gamers for some great prizes in a variety of genres.

"Canada has some of the most passionate gamers in the world," said Carl-Edwin Michel, the visionary behind Northern Arena and Co-Founder of the Canadian League of Gamers. "Connecting Northern Arena with the audiences at Fan Expo and working with Vantrix is a perfect fit. I can't wait to press play with Canadian and international gaming elite and kick off Northern Arena's 2016 competitions."  

 "eSports is exploding with interest and becoming one of the fastest growing sports in the world," says Greg Spievak, Co-Founder of the Canadian League of Gamers. "eSports already has millions of established fans worldwide and an estimated potential to generate over $1 billion in 2016, so we're excited to tap into this market and foster its huge potential here in Canada."

"Fan Expo Canada has a strong history of presenting the very best in all things pop culture. We are delighted to be working with Northern Arena to do just that - not only for our PC Gaming fans - but for all the fans who will experience this activation at the show this year," said Andrew Moyes, Show Director.

"Vantrix is excited to partner with the Northern Arena to provide 360 streaming virtual reality to Canadian League of Gamers' fans", said Kjell Kolstad, Vice President – Cloud Services. "We believe fans will love the immersive 'be-there-from-anywhere' experience enabled by our end-to-end Vantrix Cloud 360 solution. Fans can enjoy gaming action in first person VR mode or as a second screen experience on mobile devices and computers."

About the Canadian League of Gamers
In 2015, Greg Spievak and Carl-Edwin Michel launched the Canadian League of Gamers as a world-class venture for video game players, fans, sponsors and broadcasters in the growing eSports market in Canada. The league hosts finals and qualifiers across the country throughout the year, including the nation's largest live and streamed eSports events. The goal is to bring professional and non-professional gamers together in an official league that offers a structured, professionally managed and credible platform to promote eSports in North America and throughout the world.

About Fan Expo
FAN EXPO CANADA™ boasts the largest comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming event in Canada, the third largest in North America. It is packed with exciting family-friendly activities and celebrity guests including Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), and more announced soon! The all-ages pop culture convention expects to host over 127,000 fans at 750,000 sq. ft. of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the four-day event September 1-4, 2016. www.fanexpocanada.com

For further information, please visit www.northernarena.ca.

SOURCE The Canadian League of Gamers