eSport Gaming, the online global phenomenon reaching millions of competitors, fans and viewers worldwide, will make its debut at The Canadian International AutoShow in 2018.

Supported by partners BMW, Xbox, Republic of Gamers, ASUS Canada, Canada Computer & Electronics and MediaXP, more than 330,000 annual AutoShow attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an eSports motorsport gaming competition that will award over $10,000 dollars in cash and prizes.

eSport Gaming has become a worldwide spectacle with many major sports franchises starting their own teams, and arenas being filled with gamer enthusiasts to cheer on their new breed of sporting heroes. Even Formula One has developed its own mirror Championship for gamers that runs alongside its traditional Grand Prix race events.

“eSports is one of the newest and fastest growing platforms that brands, sports franchises and race organizers are using to engage young audiences” said AutoShow General Manager Jason Campbell.

“We had tremendous enthusiasm from our partners for this initiative, which I’m sure will see this feature be one of the talking points at the Show and likely expanded in future years. We’d like to thank Republic of Gamers - ASUS Canada as well as leading Canadian eSport production team MediaXP for getting this initiative off the ground,” said AutoShow’s eSport organizer, Juliana Chiovitti.

Speeding into action on opening day (Friday, February 16^th, at noon), the eSports Arena is open to gamers of all ages and skill levels wishing to compete for glory in Forza Motorsport 7, the premiere racing game on the Xbox One platform.

Using select BMW vehicles on a collection of tracks in a ‘King of the Track’ daily competition format, the quickest driver on each day of the AutoShow will be invited back to the Grand Finale on Sunday, February 25^th, to compete for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes.

Located on Level 700, Room 715 A / B inside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the eSport motorsport competition area will also host “Free-to-Play” stations operated by Canada Computer & Electronics, Republic of Gamers and Xbox while AutoShow attendees wait to participate on 1-of-10 competition computers.

All eSport enthusiasts interested in participating in the motorsport competition or trying their hand at qualifying for the Grand Finale must purchase an AutoShow ticket either online (www.autoshow.ca/tickets) or at the show.

Daily streaming of the competition will be available online at: www.autoshow.ca/esport

Do you have what it takes to compete against some of the fastest drivers? Visit the AutoShow from Feb. 16 – 25 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to find out.

eSports Arena is just one of several special features and attractions that help to set the Canadian International AutoShow apart from other North American shows. Among them:

- 50 Years of Hot Wheels: The No. 1 selling toy in the world is joining with the Canadian International AutoShow to celebrate a half century of one of the most iconic toys of all time. A Hot Wheels super track will be built, a dedicated display area featuring Hot Wheels collectors and their treasures will be set aside and show-goers will be able to get up-close to six life-size Hot Wheels cars, including the Darth Vader car and the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS.

- Art & the Automobile: The ever-popular Art & the Automobile exhibit presented by the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance will, for its fourth edition, feature rare cars seldom seen anywhere, with a focus on the brands and mascots that made the classics the icons they are today.

- 70 Years of Porsche: A feature attraction at this year’s AutoShow will be a major display of cars celebrating the “70 Years of Porsche.” The feature area will bring the evolution of Porsche over the past 70 years to life by hosting a selection of classic and historically significant Porsche models.

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About the Canadian International AutoShow
With more than 650,000 square feet of exhibits, displays and attractions at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the Canadian International AutoShow is not only the largest automotive expo in Canada, it is also the country’s largest consumer show — a leader in lifestyle, technology and all things automotive boasting more than 1,000 cars, trucks, SUVs, concept cars, exotics, classics, muscle cars, fully electric and autonomous vehicles. Nearly 340,000 attended the 2017 show.