It’s been a year of change for a pair of Vancouver Canucks-owned esports teams.
The Vancouver Titans no longer exist, just six years after Canucks Sports and Entertainment bought the Overwatch League franchise in 2018. The league ceased operations earlier this year, and so did its member teams.
But that doesn’t mean Vancouver will be without a pro esports team going forward.
The Seattle Surge, a team in the Call of Duty League that the Canucks bought in 2019, has quietly become the Vancouver Surge.
The team is currently competing at the ESports World Cup as the “Vancouver Surge,” despite players seen still wearing “Seattle Surge” branded shirts. Those shirts, along with all other Seattle Surge merchandise, are available for 50% off on the team’s website right now.
The Surge is transitioning from Seattle to Vancouver on social media, releasing a video over the weekend that included the caption: “We are the Vancouver Surge.”
As the tides rise and fall, the waves bring us onto new shores 🌊
We are the Vancouver Surge 🔱#DrownThemOut pic.twitter.com/IfGPJ6dLfM
— Vancouver Surge (@SurgeVancouver) August 11, 2024
The Canucks jumped on the esports bandwagon in 2018, shortly after sellout crowds packed Rogers Arena for the Dota 2 final in Vancouver. Days later, reports surfaced that the Canucks acquired an Overwatch League team — which reportedly cost somewhere between $30 million and $60 million.
“Esports is booming,” Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini declared at the time.
A Call of Duty franchise reportedly cost $25 million when the Canucks bought a franchise in that league.
Exciting news! The popularity of esports is amazing. Will be great to have @VancouverTitans playing @RogersArena.https://t.co/RWnLFCgRm1
— Francesco Aquilini (@fr_aquilini) July 16, 2019
At one time, the plan was for the Titans to play home games out of Rogers Arena by 2020. Homestands were set for May 16-17 and July 4-5 at Rogers Arena in 2020 but were cancelled due to the pandemic.
The original Vancouver Titans team was entirely made up of players from Korea, ranging in age from 18 to 22. Players earned a minimum of $50,000 a year.
Members of the Vancouver Titans in 2019 (@VV_Akira/Twitter)
The Titans were never the same after the pandemic hit. All of their players in May of 2020, after reported “friction” between the players and management after the players went back to Korea during the pandemic.
According to an ESPN report in 2020, the players requested a team facility similar to what they had in Vancouver, but ownership told them to compete and practice from home instead.
It remains to be seen what presence Vancouver’s new esports team will have in the city. Call of Duty League players earn a minimum salary of $55,225, while the richest player in 2023 earned a reported $1.4 million.
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