February will be a lively one in Montréal, not least because the city is prepping to welcome the Six Invitational back, from February 7 to 19. This cornerstone event in the annual esports calendar is more than just a competition: it’s a chance for the world of gaming to converge in a city that thrives on play.
Champions of esports
Presented by Ubisoft, a global gaming powerhouse, Six Invitational is the world championship of the hit game Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. For the last three days of the 12-day event, from February 17 to 19, Six Invitational opens up to the public and invites the Siege family to converge in the iconic Place Bell.
The event unites the community by the thousands, promises big reveals and lots of exclusive onsite activities, and will result in the crowning of the season’s world champions.
Audiences on the rise
The event’s ability to draw a massive live audience, in addition to the international thousands who stream live, is a testament to the ever-growing strength of the esports industry. Esports audiences now outweigh events like the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Montréal is a hub for gaming in general, recognized as the fifth largest video game hub in the world. Since Ubisoft opened its HQ here in 1997, the globe’s largest video game producers have chosen to come to Montréal for its vibrant creative and artistic energy, and its highly educated work force.
Tech talk
Montréal now has more than 200 video game studios based here, putting thousands to work on products ranging from VFX to animation to gamification – creating experiences not only for good times with friends but also tools to train professionals in fields such as health care and education. In that way, the gaming industry dovetails perfectly with the city’s strength in technology in a wider sense, including AI, neuroscience and clean tech, all booming sectors responsible for major discoveries and trend-setting research.
Call us a city of the future!
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