As the popularity of video games continues to soar, PlayVS is giving high schools and colleges the tools to create professional and successful esports teams – enabling students to compete in new digital sporting arenas and making the dream of playing varsity esports a reality.

Now touted as a multi-billion dollar industry, e-sports has brands queuing up to tap into a highly engaged audience and the players that are capturing their hearts and minds. What transformed a relatively niche entertainment model into a sporting leader?

Video games may conjure up imagery of ultra-fantasy but can these play a positive role in mental health? Canvas8 spoke to Joe Donnelly, author of Checkpoint: How Video Games Power Up Minds, Kick Ass, and Save Lives, to understand the benefits of gaming that transcend entertainment.

Queer characters in media have come a long way since Ellen DeGeneres’ career was temporarily ruined because she, and her eponymous sitcom character, came out as a lesbian in 1997. But while the music industry and TV shows are now queerer than ever before, how do video games compare?