Leveling Up Esports in Waterloo Region

Inside the Call of Duty League Championship Weekend

From June 26 to 29, 2025, the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (known locally as The Aud) stepped onto the global esports stage as host of the Call of Duty League Championship Weekend. For Explore Waterloo Region, the event marked a defining milestone: it was the region’s first major international esports tournament and a clear signal that Waterloo Region is ready to compete at the highest level of esports hosting.   

The championship brought together eight elite teams from across North America competing for a $2 million prize pool and one of the most coveted titles in competitive gaming.

The scale of the event extended well beyond the arena walls. More than 11,000 tickets were sold across four days, while the global broadcast of the event generated 3.75 million hours streamed and averaged 158,000 viewers. The Grand Final peaked at 353,525 viewers, beating the league’s previous all-time record. Together, those numbers tell the story of an event that captured worldwide attention.  

Behind the Scenes of Waterloo Region’s Record-Breaking Esports Weekend

The opportunity to host the Call of Duty League Championship came together through a mix of timing, connections and preparation.

OverActive Media, owners of Toronto Ultra (now competing as Toronto KOI) had secured the rights to host the 2025 championship but were still searching for the right venue for the event. 

“It was really a right place, right time scenario,” said Allister Scorgie, Director of Sport Hosting at Explore Waterloo Region. “They had the event rights but needed a venue with the right infrastructure. We knew The Aud could deliver, and we had spent years preparing for an opportunity exactly like this.” 

A connection through EWR’s Esports Advisory Committee sparked the initial conversation between Explore Waterloo Region and OverActive Media and quickly evolved into months of detailed planning. While proximity to the GTA and Pearson International Airport played an important role in securing the tournament, Scorgie points to the region’s readiness as the true differentiator.

“We weren’t just offering a venue,” he said. “We had spent years building an esports strategy, strengthening partnerships, and making sure we understood what these events need to succeed. When the opportunity came, we were ready to move quickly and confidently.” 

That preparation was reflected in the extensive work happening behind the scenes. Well before the first match began, Explore Waterloo Region, OverActive Media and The Aud conducted multiple site visits, reviewing everything from load-in logistics and stage placement to power capacity and internet infrastructure. They also travelled to a Call of Duty League Major in Allen, Texas, to study a comparable arena setup and apply those learnings locally. 

“It was one of the most complex events The Aud has ever hosted,” Scorgie said. “There was technology in nearly every square inch of the building, but the operations team at The Aud anticipated the challenges and handled them with confidence.” 

Building a Winning Esports Strategy

Throughout the process, Explore Waterloo Region played a coordinating role, helping connect event organizers with venue staff, local partners, post-secondary institutions, accommodation and transportation providers, and marketing channels. Students from the University of Waterloo and Conestoga College supported event activations, while local expertise helped streamline advance planning, on-site operations, and off-site experiences. 

“Our role is to help bring all the right people together,” Scorgie explained. “We work behind the scenes with organizers, venues, and community partners to help deliver the event smoothly and make sure everyone is aligned from planning through execution.” 

For Explore Waterloo Region, the biggest win was proof of concept. The Aud had never hosted an esports event of this scale before, but the Call of Duty League Championship demonstrated that the venue, the team and the community are fully capable of delivering major international competitions.

“We had worked for years laying the groundwork to host an event like Call of Duty in Waterloo Region,” said Scorgie. “Now we can confidently say we can host major esports events in this venue, and we can do them well.” 

With another esports event already secured in Waterloo Region for 2026 and momentum growing across the sector, the Call of Duty League Championship Weekend was more than a one-time success. It has laid the groundwork for Waterloo Region to level up on the global esports stage.