A Toronto Games Week event that includes a panel discussion on supporting diversity in gaming is being hosted at the Humber International Graduate School.

TGW: France x Canada – Empowering Inclusive Play happens on Saturday, June 15.

The event includes a talk by William Bertin, a portfolio manager with Plug in Digital, about publishing and game sourcing in the European market.

It’s followed by the Empowering Inclusive Play panel discussion. It’s a cross-cultural conversation that will explore the relationship between esports organizations and gaming communities in creating spaces for all gamers to thrive.  

The panelists include Christine Kev, a “Super Smash Bros Melee” player and board member with France Esports and Women in Games France, and Pauline Puybareau, an esports project manager for games such as "Rainbow Six Siege" and is a marketing consultant and esports speaker on gender diversity and inclusion. Also part of the panel is Lisa Funnell, associate dean of Creative Industries at Mohawk College, and Melissa Burns, the founder and CEO of Esport Canada.

Burns said, based on 2022 data from the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, 51 per cent of gamers identify as women. However, Burns said other data shows that just five per cent are professional esports athletes.

“When I see that kind of discrepancy it indicates to me that there is a systemic barrier to success that is preventing women from reaching those higher levels in esports,” said Burns, adding the discussion will look at what’s being done to support all underrepresented voices.

There’s also a Show Match and Free Play portion of the event. Attendees can enjoy free play esports on a variety of gaming systems and consoles, try VR gaming and see if they can hold their own against professional player and world champion Marie-Laure Norindr, who’s known online as Kayane, as she opens up the main stage to friendly matches in "TEKKEN 8."

Bernard Mafei, senior administrator of Esports at Humber, said this is Humber Esports’ first time participating in Toronto Games Week. There will be a game showcase area at the event where Humber’s Game Programming program faculty and students will share student made games and projects with those in attendance.

The Toronto Games Week event came about from a new partnership between the French Embassy and Esport Canada that saw a delegation of esports industry professionals from France come to Toronto this month. The collaboration aims to foster an exchange of knowledge and perspectives between Canadian and French esports industries, with a special focus on amplifying efforts in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) and promoting the work of equity-deserving groups within the esports industry.

“Esport Canada is very much committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility so we look for opportunities to really support underrepresented voices in the esports space,” said Burns. “So when the French Embassy approached us about this particular opportunity it was a no-brainer.”

The exchange features a series of events designed to explore various aspects of the esports ecosystem including meetings with key stakeholders in the Toronto region, a panel discussion at the XP Game Summit, and the event at Humber as part of Toronto Games Week.

The TGW: France x Canada – Empowering Inclusive Play is free and open to the public. Those interested in attending are asked to register at the event’s Eventbrite page.