Canada
ESPORTS AWARDS UNVEILS PRO, ON-AIR AND COLLEGIATE FINALISTS
The Esports Awards, the most prestigious night in the esports calendar, is excited to reveal the finalists for this year’s Pro and On-Air and Collegiate awards. As some of the most highly anticipated categories, this year’s finalists include the likes of Trevor “Quickshot” Henry, G2 Esports and Heo “ShowMaker” Su.
This year’s Esports Awards will officially be returning to a physical event taking place on November 20th at the Esports Stadium Arlington. The Esports Stadium will provide the perfect backdrop for an evening of celebration and prestige which will be attended by some of the biggest brands, organisations and personalities from esports and beyond.
The finalists for the Pro, On-Air and Collegiate were announced as part of Esports Awards 6th Spotlight Show of the year which was hosted by Thom ‘F.’ Badinger with guest hosts Parker ‘Interro’ Mackay and Jess ‘JessGOAT’ Bolden. The show played host to the Creative Corner segment where George Nowack interviewed Rich Lock, Jess and Parker went head to head in the ultimate quiz challenge and FaZe Crowder was interviewed by Fdot.
The full list of Pro, On-Air & Collegiate finalists are:
Esports Coach of the Year in partnership with Expedia
- James “Crowder” Crowder
- James “Mac” MacCormack
- Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu
- Andrii “B1ad3” Gorodenskyi
- Dyjair “Mity” Soares
- Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun
- Arthur “TchubZ” Martins
- Emiliano “Sizz” Benny
- Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov
- Byung-chul “Moon” Moon
- Mark “MarkyB” Bryceland
Esports Controller Player of the Year in partnership with SCUF
- Chris “Simp” Lehr
- Justin “jstn.” Morales
- Eric “Snip3down” Wrona
- Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris
- Joseph “Mang0” Marquez
- Evan “M0nkey M00n” Rogez
- Jack “JBM” Mascone
- Dominique “SonicFox” McLean
- Gavin “Tweek” Dempsey
- Victor “Fairy Peak!” Locquet
Esports Controller Rookie of the Year in partnership with SCUF
- Jamie “Insight” Craven
- Evan “M0nkey M00n” Rogez
- Raúl “DmentZa” Palazuelos
- Eli “Standy” Bentz
- Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez
- Marc “MaRc_By_8.” Domingo
- Andres “dreaz” Jordan
Esports Mobile Player of the Year presented by Verizon
- Zhu “paraboy” Bocheng
- Mohamed “Mohamed Light” Tarek
- Gabriel “Syaz” Vasconcelos
- Mustafa “SkYRiiKZz” Ibrahim
- Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno
- Jash “Learn” Shah
- Piyapon “TheCruz” Boonchuay
- Brian “Tectonic” Michel
- Lucas “LucasXGamer” Vinícius Batista Rocha
- Cauan “Cauan7” da Silva
Esports Organisation of the Year
- LOUD
- 100 Thieves
- G2 Esports
- Team Liquid
- FaZe Clan
- NRG
- TSM FTX
- Fnatic
- Cloud9
- T1
- Envy
- OverActive Media
Esports PC Player of the Year
- Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
- Luccas “Paluh” Vinicius Molina
- Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
- Heo “ShowMaker” Su
- Wang “Ame” Chunyu
- Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang
- Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin
- Jae-Won “LIP” Lee
Esports PC Rookie of the Year
- Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki
- Javier “Elyoya” Prades Batalla
- Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
- Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin
- Adam “Adam” Maanane
- Valeriy “B1T” Vakhovskiy
- Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov
- Se-hyun “Pelican” Oh
- Robin “Robinsongz” Sung
Esports Team of the Year in association with Secretlab
- Atlanta FaZe (CDL)
- The General NRG (Rocket League)
- Natus Vincere (NAVI) (CS:GO)
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (Rainbow 6)
- DWG KIA (League of Legends)
- PSG.LGD (Dota 2)
- MAD Lions (LoL)
- Gambit Esports (VALORANT)
- Shanghai Dragons (Overwatch)
- Sentinels (VALORANT)
Esports Analyst of the Year
- Anthony “NAMELESS” Wheeler
- Emily Rand
- Jacob “Pimp” Winneche
- Jess ‘JessGOAT’ Bolden
- Marc Robert “Caedrel” Lamont
- Kyle “melonzz” Freedman
- Jonathan “Reinforce” Larsson
- Sean “sgares” Gares
- Jason “moses” O’Toole
Esports Colour Caster of the Year
- Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill
- Mohan “launders” Govindasamy
- Michael “KiXSTAr” Stockley
- Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson
- Thomas “Chance” Ashworth
- Andrew “Vedius” Day
- Sam “Kobe” Hartman-Kenzler
- John “Johnnyboi_i” MacDonald
- Stephen “Sajam” Lyon
Esports Host of the Year Presented by Arlington.Org
- Eefje ‘sjokz’ Depoortere
- Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez
- Soe Gschwind
- James “Dash” Patterson
- Jorien “Sheever” van der Heijden
- Ana Paula ‘Ana Xisdê’ Cardoso
- Loviel “Velly” Cardwell
- Tres “stunna” Saranthus
- Brody “Liefx” Moore
- Ghassan “MiloshTheMedic” Finge
- Caleb “WavePunk” Simmons
- Chris “Puckett” Puckett
Esports Play by Play Caster of the Year
- Parker “Interro” Mackay
- Alex “Machine” Richardson
- Miles Ross
- Trevor “Quickshot” Henry
- Clayton “CaptainFlowers” Raines
- Mitch “Uber” Leslie
- Callum “Shogun” Keir
- Owen “ODPixel” Davies
- Lauren “Pansy” Scott
- BrunoClash
Esports Collegiate Program of the Year
- Northwood University
- Boise State University
- Maryville University
- Grand Canyon University
- University of Hawai’i
- Buckeye Gaming Collective – Ohio State University
- Longhorn Gaming – University of Texas at Austin
- Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Illini Esports – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Winthrop University
Esports Collegiate Ambassador of the Year
- Dr. Chris “Doc” Haskell
- Adam Antor
- Chris Turner
- Ariane Lim
- Ryan Johnson
“I’m really excited to unveil the final set of finalists for this year’s awards which is set to be our biggest and most prestigious event yet. With less than two months to go, the team is hard at work making sure that this year’s ceremony is packed full of celebration, excitement and special surprises,” said Michael Ashford, CEO, Esports Awards
The Esports Awards is delighted to announce Expedia as the Official Travel Companion for this year’s ceremony. Expedia will work closely together with the Esports Awards on creating a number of ‘epic moments’ for attendees, viewers and fans showcasing the globality of the awards.
Other partners for the Esports Awards 2021 include The Koyo Store, Sizzle Creative, Touch of Ginger, SCUF, Arlington CVB, SecretLab, Make-A-Wish, Skullz, and Verizon.
Esports Awards 2021 key campaign dates for the rest of the year are:
- October: The Go-Home Show building up to the main event
- Saturday 20th November: The Esports Awards 2021 Ceremony
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Canada
XSOLLA STRENGTHENS COMMITMENT TO ATLANTIC CANADA’S GROWING GAME INDUSTRY WITH EXPANDED EVENT PRESENCE
Global Video Game Commerce Company To Support Industry Growth Through Panels, Workshops, And Community Engagement Across Atlantic Canada
Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, today announced its participation in two major gaming industry events taking place across Atlantic Canada from June 3-5, 2026, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting regional game development ecosystems and fostering industry collaboration.
Xsolla will participate in both Game Invest East and XP Game Connect Atlantic, joining developers, publishers, investors, and industry leaders for discussions centered on the future of game development, investment, and innovation in the local area.
At Game Invest East, held in partnership with Scaffold, Xsolla will contribute to conversations around funding, growth opportunities, and the evolving business landscape for game studios.
Featured on the panel titled “If You Can Make It Here,” Xsolla’s Manny Hachey, Senior Director of Developer Success, joins Kate Edwards, CEO and Principal Consultant of Geogrify, and Amir Satvat, Business Development Director at Tencent Games, founder of Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), and a 2026 GamesBeat Visionary Award honoree, to explore how new regions and new entrants can survive and thrive in disruptive times.
Hachey, a native of Atlantic Canada, was personally requested by Scaffold to represent Xsolla at the event — a homecoming that adds a personal dimension to the panel’s central thesis. Having built her career and made her mark in Germany’s games industry, she returns with a firsthand perspective on what it takes to leave, build something meaningful abroad, and come back with proof of concept.
Xsolla will continue its Atlantic Canada engagement at XP Game Connect Atlantic in Halifax on June 5. John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada at Xsolla, and Ted DiNola, Developer Evangelist at Xsolla, will host a workshop titled ‘Full Picture to Fast Lane: Xsolla Ecosystem Overview & Live SDK 3 Integration’, providing practical insights and actionable strategies for developers navigating today’s rapidly evolving gaming market.
Nguyen will also host a panel titled, ‘What Does the Future of Game Development Look Like in Atlantic Canada?’ where he will be joined by industry experts, including Ryan Filsinger from Iron Fox; Shawn Woods, CEO at Alpha Dog and VP of Interactive Society of Nova Scotia; George Greer, Founder of Besszong; and Jade Yhap, President of Interactive NB. The panel will explore the region’s growing role in the global games industry and the opportunities ahead for studios, talent, and ecosystem partners.
“Atlantic Canada continues to emerge as an exciting hub for game development talent and innovation,” said John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada, at Xsolla. “Xsolla is proud to support these events and contribute to conversations that help empower developers, build ecosystems, strengthen industry connections, and accelerate growth across the region.”
“Events like Game Invest East and XP Game Connect Atlantic are critical for building stronger connections across the games industry,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Xsolla. “Atlantic Canada has a growing community of talented developers, creators, and industry leaders, and we’re excited to be part of conversations that help to shape the future of gaming in the region while supporting studios at every stage of growth.”
Through its participation in these events, Xsolla aims to deepen relationships within the Atlantic Canadian game development community while supporting knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and long-term ecosystem growth.
For more information about Xsolla’s participation in these events across Atlantic Canada, visit: xsolla.pro/Atlantic-Canada
The post XSOLLA STRENGTHENS COMMITMENT TO ATLANTIC CANADA’S GROWING GAME INDUSTRY WITH EXPANDED EVENT PRESENCE appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Ben Scobie-Trumper Head of Sales at mkodo
GGPoker selects GeoLocs geolocation service for regulated Ontario market
mkodo’s GeoLocs will handle in-platform location checks for GGPoker players in Ontario, removing the need for a separate verification app.
GGPoker has selected GeoLocs by mkodo as its geolocation service provider for the operator’s regulated Ontario offering.
Under the partnership, GeoLocs will provide in-platform location verification for GGPoker players across Ontario, with the aim of supporting regulatory compliance without requiring an additional app download or separate approval process.
“Our priority is to ensure players have a seamless experience on GGPoker whilst staying fully compliant with regulations. We chose GeoLocs because of their proven expertise, industry and regulatory knowledge and the fact that players don’t need to verify location through a separate app or download.” – Sarne Lightman, Managing Director of GGPoker.
“The partnership with GGPoker is very exciting. We’re proud to support a globally recognised operator in delivering a seamless, compliant player experience in Ontario. With Alberta opening in July, the partnership with GGPoker in Ontario further reinforces GeoLocs’ expansion across the Canadian gaming market.” – Ben Scobie-Trumper, Head of Sales at mkodo.
GeoLocs is a geolocation product built by mkodo for regulated markets, supporting web and mobile location checks for gaming, sports betting, poker and lottery operators, according to the company.
The post GGPoker selects GeoLocs geolocation service for regulated Ontario market appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Business Development
Xsolla expands Atlantic Canada event push with Game Invest East and XP Game Connect
Xsolla will take part in two Atlantic Canada industry events—Game Invest East and XP Game Connect Atlantic—running June 3-5, 2026, as it increases its presence in the region’s game development ecosystem.
The company said it will join discussions with developers, publishers, investors, and other stakeholders focused on game development, investment, and innovation. At Game Invest East, held in partnership with Scaffold, Xsolla will participate in a panel titled “If You Can Make It Here.” Xsolla’s Manny Hachey, Senior Director of Developer Success, will appear alongside Kate Edwards, CEO and Principal Consultant of Geogrify, and Amir Satvat, Business Development Director at Tencent Games, founder of Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), and a 2026 GamesBeat Visionary Award honoree.
Xsolla’s Halifax stop comes on June 5 at XP Game Connect Atlantic. John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada at Xsolla, and Ted DiNola, Developer Evangelist at Xsolla, will host a workshop titled “Full Picture to Fast Lane: Xsolla Ecosystem Overview & Live SDK 3 Integration.”
Nguyen will also host a panel, “What Does the Future of Game Development Look Like in Atlantic Canada?”, joined by Ryan Filsinger from Iron Fox; Shawn Woods, CEO at Alpha Dog and VP of Interactive Society of Nova Scotia; George Greer, Founder of Besszong; and Jade Yhap, President of Interactive NB.
“Atlantic Canada continues to emerge as an exciting hub for game development talent and innovation,” said John Nguyen, Regional Vice President, Canada, at Xsolla. “Xsolla is proud to support these events and contribute to conversations that help empower developers, build ecosystems, strengthen industry connections, and accelerate growth across the region.”
The post Xsolla expands Atlantic Canada event push with Game Invest East and XP Game Connect appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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