Canada wins first military esports title in CS2

The Canadian Armed Forces esports team won Canada’s first international military esports championship by defeating France 2–1 in the Counter-Strike 2 final at the International Defence Esports Games in Sunderland, U.K., on Oct. 10.

Canada opened the playoffs with a 13–0 victory over Saudi Arabia. The team then beat host nation Great Britain 13–11 on Inferno in the semifinals.

Canada won Dust2 and Inferno in the best-of-three final against France. Great Britain won the Rocket League, iRacing and VelociDrone tournaments.

IDEG26 took place from Oct. 8 to 11 at the British Arena. British Esports and the U.K. Ministry of Defence organized the event, which included 150 military athletes competing in four games. Ten countries qualified from 58 applicants.

The Canadian roster included serving members of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force. The team competed through the RCAF Game Force initiative while carrying out their regular military duties.

The Canadian Armed Forces described the tournament as an opportunity for members from different branches to develop decision-making, strategic coordination and teamwork through competitive gaming.

CAF Esports leaders are assessing long-term plans for the CS2 roster. Future participation will depend on later editions of the International Defence Esports Games and the games selected for those events.

Team members can continue playing together recreationally. Regulations prevent them from competing under the official CAF Esports banner in nonmilitary tournaments that offer prize money.

The program plans to add more game titles, prepare for events such as the Call of Duty Endowment Bowl, and host recreational activities through its Discord and Twitch channels.

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