ReportESAC – Entertainment Software Association of Canada
L'Industrie du Jeu Vidéo au Canada
1 Jan 202441 pages~50 min full read
The Canadian video game industry contributes $5.1 billion to the national GDP and employs 34,010 full-time equivalent workers with an average annual compensation of $102,000.
Industry spending reached $4.8 billion in 2024, an 11% increase since 2021, with labour costs now accounting for 72% of total expenditures.
The sector is increasingly dominated by foreign-owned companies, which now account for 88% of total industry employment.
While the total number of studios declined by 9% since 2021 due to the contraction of micro-enterprises, larger studios have remained stable or expanded.
The industry is highly concentrated geographically, with 83% of the 821 operating studios located in Ontario, British Columbia, and Québec.
The sector is consolidating around a smaller number of large-scale players, reflecting a shift toward deeper international integration and reliance on external capital.
The 2024 Canadian video‑game sector is presented as a mature, high‑value industry that contributes $5.1 billion to national GDP and sustains 34 010 full‑time‑equivalent positions, with an average compensation of $102 000. The analysis underscores a pronounced geographic concentration, as 83 % of the 821 operating studios are located in Ontario, British Columbia and Québec, reflecting the continued clustering of talent and infrastructure in these provinces.
Compared with 2021, the total number of firms declined by 9 %, a contraction driven largely by the disappearance of micro‑enterprises, while larger studios either remained stable or expanded. Ownership patterns have shifted markedly, with foreign‑owned companies now accounting for 88 % of total employment, indicating deepening international integration and reliance on external capital.
Industry spending reached $4.8 billion in 2024, an 11 % increase over the 2021 level, and labour costs now represent 72 % of total expenditures, up from roughly 66 % three years earlier. This rising labour share highlights the sector’s intensifying dependence on skilled human capital.
The study classifies studios into eight size categories—from solo developers to firms with more than 200 employees—using survey‑derived averages to estimate spending, revenue and wage structures across each segment. By scaling these averages to the number of firms in each tier, the analysis provides a nuanced picture of economic activity across the full spectrum of the industry.
Overall, the findings portray a Canadian video‑game ecosystem that is consolidating around a few large, often foreign‑owned players, expanding its overall financial outlays, and increasingly reliant on a highly paid workforce, all within a geographically limited core that dominates national output.
