The Esports Around The World series profiles major & minor esports nations across the globe.
Introduction
Situated in the north of Europe, Norway is a forward-thinking, advanced economy that has embraced esports and gaming with open arms — similarly to its Scandinavian neighbours Denmark and Sweden.
Norway’s esports scene arguably may not match the scale of its two Scandinavian siblings, but there’s plenty to unpack regardless. The country is home to high-profile esports organisations, including Heroic, SKADE and 00Nation (formerly Nordavind).
Major winner Håvard ‘rain’ Nygaard is perhaps the best known CS:GO player from Norway, which is also well-represented in Dota 2 and PUBG. Norway additionally has a strong Fortnite scene; some of the best Fortnite players in Europe, like Emil ‘Nyhrox’ Bergquist Pedersen, come from the Nordic country.
The country also has a steady stream of esports tournaments, including the Telia League and Fragleague. However, it lacks a major tier one event or stop in a tournament series, unlike many of its neighbours, for example Sweden’s Dreamhack events or Poland’s IEM Katowice.
The country’s TV2 television station, however, has regularly broadcasted esports tournaments, and esports is slowly making its way into schools and universities. Norway was one of the first countries to include esports in a high school’s curriculum in 2016.
Government recognition
The Norwegian government does not appear to have explicitly recognised esports as sports inside the country.
Notable Tournaments & Leagues
Norway is home to a fair number of esports tournaments and leagues, and is also a part of some major regional leagues, such as the NLC. However, the prize pools for the regional and Norwegian leagues remain relatively low.
Notable Esports Organisations
Note that this is a non-exhaustive list and exclusion does not signify an org is not notable.
National Association(s) / Federation(s)
Note that inclusion in this list does not suggest any acknowledgement from ESI of its authority, works or official capacity.
Education initiatives
Additionally, Norwegian esports organisation SKADE has made moves in education by providing online and physical education on esports topics. The organisation works with a number of schools in Norway, as well as the Stockholm University.
This is a preliminary country profile and will be updated over time. If you have any suggestions or feedback for this profile, please get in touch at: [email protected]
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