According to reputable sources like Statista, the United States recently generated $68.27 billion in revenue from its video gaming industry over a twelve-month period. However, other sources put the figure lower at around $55 billion, and the US is second only to China.
For the same period, China generated around $82.06 billion. Some of the world’s other top video game markets are in Japan, South Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, and Mexico.
On this page, we will be taking a closer look at how Canada’s burgeoning video game industry compares to the US.
What Are The Most Popular Video Games Being Played In Canada In 2025?
More Canadians than ever enjoy playing video games in their spare time. Some like to play the high-end, more graphically demanding triple-A blockbuster video games like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Cyberpunk 2077 on their PC or console, whereas others like to play EA Sports FC 25, NHL 25, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Times & Galaxy, and Balatro, to name a few.
You also have a growing number of people who enjoy playing at legal CA online casinos and prefer the highly sophisticated live dealer games from market-leading providers like Evolution Gaming, Playtech, and Pragmatic Play, or they like to play feature-rich online slot machines from similar top-tier providers like Blueprint Gaming, Red Tiger Gaming, Games Global, NetEnt, Yggdrasil Gaming, IGT, Big Time Gaming, Relax Gaming, and others.
Canadian gamers also enjoy playing casual games and Indie games, such as Stardew Valley, Cuphead, Subway Surfers, Hades, and Night in the Woods.
How Does Canada’s Video Game Industry Compare To The Us?
Although the Canadian video game market may not be as big as the US in terms of annual revenue and the number of developers that are based there, Canada’s gaming industry is one of the fastest growing.
Let’s take a quick look at a few key numbers and stats:
- Number of video game developers based in Canada – approximately 32,300 (2024)
- Number of video game developers based in the United States – approximately 26,698 (2024)
- Key gaming hub cities in Canada – Vancouver and Montreal are the biggest hubs in Canada
- Key gaming hub cities in the United States – San Francisco, New York City, and Los Angeles
- Industry growth in Canada – The video gaming industry here has grown steadily for the past few decades and is projected to grow at a faster rate over the coming years
- Industry growth in the United States – The video gaming industry here has grown and is also predicted to continue growing over the coming years
- Major video game studios based in Canada – Some of the biggest development studios that have offices here or are headquartered here are Electronic Arts (EA), Rockstar Games, Ubisoft, and BioWare
- Major video game studios based in the United States – Some of the biggest developers that are based in the US or have studios here are Rockstar Games, Epic Games, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Blizzard Entertainment, Valve Corporation, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Microsoft, Bethesda, Juego Studios, and Ubisoft [San Francisco]
Why Is Canada’s Video Gaming Industry Growing So Fast?
Canada is a nation that is home to a huge workforce filled with highly skilled and talented individuals. According to stats, there are over 800 large and small video game development studios based here that employ somewhere in the region of 34,000 workers.
Some of the key contributing factors that are helping Canada’s gaming industry grow are things like excellent government support, a diverse gaming landscape, and having solid creative hubs with mature ecosystems that are hospitable to startups.
It’s also an export-oriented market, and the companies that are based here can benefit from various tax benefits. There’s also a huge amount of foreign and Canadian investment currently being pumped into the gaming industry here, which is helping it reach new heights.
The country has produced some of the industry’s most famous video games, such as Assassin’s Creed, PGA Tour 2K21, The Long Dark, Cuphead, The Messenger, Mass Effect, and Chivalry 2, and over the coming years, experts who follow the industry closely project that the industry will continue to evolve and become even more of a major player on the global stage.
Final Thoughts
The Canadian gaming industry might not ever be as big as the US, but thanks to continued investment, tax incentives, and a highly skilled workforce, it will continue to grow and contribute billions of dollars towards the Canadian economy.
Despite being much smaller than the United States, the video gaming market in Canada is expected to remain one of the world’s fastest-growing in the foreseeable future, and they have everything to be proud of. Key events like the CGS (Canadian Gaming Summit) also help to push the boundaries of what is possible in both the traditional video gaming and iGaming sectors.