Events like PAX and the E3 are the largest events in the world of video games but for fans north of the border, these can be tough to attend, due to the distance and the inevitable hefty price tag.
Canadian fans need not worry as thanks to Enthusiast Gaming, there is a new kid in town when it comes to large gaming expositions.
EGLX or the Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo is taking place Oct. 26 – Oct. 28 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and, according to the organizers, will feature anything a video game fan could want.
According to founder Menashe Kestenbaum, who also serves as the CEO of Enthusiast, this is the fourth iteration of the expo. The first was held in 2015 and 1,700 people showed up. The last one, held in March 2018, had over 25,000 attendees show up and Kestenbaum believes it will grow even more.
“We created EGLX to provide a platform and foster an environment where all gamers, families and friends can come together and celebrate some of their favourite aspects of gaming,” said Kestenbaum. “From one of the first EGLX meetups in 2015 with 1,700 attendees to 25,000 in March, EGLX has experienced significant growth and support.”
According to Kestenbaum, this event is a little different from the ones in the U.S. Instead of just a straight expo where video game companies show off their games and guests speak about the industry, there is also an international gaming tournament, the World Electronic Sports Games.
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Winners of this tournament will have the opportunity to represent Canada at the finals in Shanghai in March of next year.
According to Kestenbaum, this entire event is a testament to not only the popularity of video games but also to the love that players have for the games.
“It’s not just a hobby anymore, its a passion,” said Kestenbaum. “We’ve been able to attract those we never thought we would because of the love of gaming.”
Kestenbaum founded Enthusiast Gaming as a website with the idea of a collective of grassroots video game bloggers to help monetize a passion they all had for writing about video games. Today the site features several million views per month and the company has been publicly traded since Oct. 4.
The event takes place Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are available on the EGLX website.