Video games, esports 'skyrocket' in popularity during pandemic

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As an avid gamer, 38-year-old Steve Vomacka would often play the video game Fortnite, a multiplayer shooter game, for an hour each day just to unwind after work.

That was before the COVID-19 pandemic, back when Vomacka still had a job at a Saskatoon autobody shop, access to his kickboxing gym and fun places to take his three kids.

The unemployed father has tripled his gaming time in search of a "release" ever since pandemic restrictions came into effect in March.

"I wake up in the morning. I play some video games while I'm eating breakfast, then I do some of my [school] work, then go back to playing video games. Do a quick work-out; more video games," Vomacka said, with a chuckle. "It's a good escape for me."

The shuttering of businesses and schools forced millions of existing and would-be gamers to stay home, prompting a spike in demand for what is already one of the most popular forms of entertainment on the planet and a multi-billion dollar industry. People aren't just buying and playing games like never before, they're also tuning in as spectators to stream highly-skilled players do battle in various esports, also known as competitive gaming.

It's about escapism and curing boredom; it's also about seeking connection. 

With so many other sports cancelled, it's also about embracing the one sports realm that could flourish in a physical distancing world.