The Blue Jays have the Rogers Centre, the Raptors have Scotiabank Arena and the Argos have BMO Field.
Starting next year, Toronto Defiant — the city's first and still only professional Overwatch esports team — will have Roy Thomson Hall.
Yes, that Roy Thomson Hall: The glimmering, circular glass structure in the heart of Toronto's entertainment district, best known as home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and for hosting TIFF gala screenings.
The illustrious concert hall will be the official home venue for all Toronto Defiant matches in the Overwatch League (OWL) next season, according to team owner OverActive Media.
🚨 JUST ANNOUNCED! 🚨 Our first ever home games are coming in 2020!
— Toronto Defiant (@TorontoDefiant) August 20, 2019
Join us for the #SpringSiege 🛡️ & #SummerStorm 🌀
Tickets go on sale for Homestand #1 on August 28! Sign up for early access to tickets now 👉 https://t.co/BS0DDEoU0b#RiseTogether pic.twitter.com/n3HR9aODzA
Toronto will also host two homestand weekends in which teams from Paris, London, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington face off against each other as well as the Toronto Defiant.
"Both home-stand weekends will include multiple matches, autograph sessions, cosplay and other family-friendly events hosted at Roy Thomson Hall," announced OverActive on Tuesday of what it's calling the "Spring Siege" and "Summer Storm" events.
With a capacity of just 2,630 people at Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto's 2020 OWL matches will likely sell out fast. Scoff if you must, but competitive video gaming has become a serious, multi-million (if not billion) dollar industry in recent years.
The Overwatch League, in which Defiant plays, is one of the world's premiere professional esports leagues. It features franchised teams from major cities all over the globe and had a prize pool of $5 million for the 2019 season alone.
by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO
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