Over the past two and a half years, Canadians have gone through more change than any of us could have imagined. During this time, video games have provided joy, stress relief and a chance to engage with others. In fact, our 2022 Essential Facts survey found that one of the largest changes in video game use is that it has continued to become more social.

Community is an increasingly important part of video games – and Canadians are forming new friendships, building online community, and spending quality time with family and friends through gaming.

Overall, 49 per cent of adult video game players and 70 per cent of kids play video games regularly with other people. That includes a growing number of parents and children playing together and using gameplay to spend valuable time as a family.

As millennials who grew up with a passion for gaming become parents, they’re sharing the love with their kids: 74 per cent of video game playing parents say that they play video games with their children, an increase of nine per cent over the past two years.

What’s more, 69 per cent of video game playing parents felt that video games helped them to spend more time with their children. With many of us returning to the physical office and classroom, Canadians are seeking their valuable downtime and through video games, with 85 per cent of gamers saying that video games provided stress relief and 84 per cent saying they bring joy.

eSports are also increasingly being viewed by younger generations as a viable career path. Over a third (36 per cent) of adult gamers and 28 per cent of teen gamers have engaged with eSports over the past year; of those, 70 per cent would consider eSports as a potential career option.

The future of gaming in Canada is incredibly bright – and hopefully we’ll get a chance to play together online soon,

Jayson Hilchie
President and CEO, Entertainment Software Association of Canada