Both Dallas and Atlanta sold out their venues for two nights each this season

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s considered one of the top tier eSports tournaments in the world, and with live events expected to be hosted here in 2020, Tourism Vancouver is pleased to hear Overwatch League (OWL) games will be coming to Rogers Arena.

Games are coming here because the city has its own OWL team – the Aquilini-backed Vancouver Titans are in their first season in the league, having already won one of the year’s four stage titles.

Tourism Vancouver CEO Ty Speer says it’s imperative Vancouver continues developing its eSports opportunities, which has been the case across the border.

Right now, much of the Vancouver Titans-related fare includes watch parties at local bars and restaurants.

“[We should be] like a New York, or Atlanta or a Dallas, I think that’s where this city needs to be positioning itself, so I think it says good things about our brand, generally, and good things about our brand as a sport and an event destination,” Speer says.

Since the Vancouver Titans made the announcement on Tuesday on Twitter, Speer says it’s still too soon to say what kind of marketing strategies they’ll be employing to maximize the team’s reach.

“We’ll have to have a look at the team, and work with our colleagues at the arena, figure out what’s the right way to pitch this to visitors. But I think there’s going to be a visitor opportunity,” he says.

Some teams are already hosting home games, but OWL’s hope is that by next year all of the league’s 20 teams can host at least two games.

Both Dallas and Atlanta sold out their venues for two nights each this season, as the league experimented with home and away games.

With files from the Canadian Press.