It’s easy to get caught up on your favorite teams and standout players, but there are many more people that make esports the thriving industry that it is. Every good tournament needs a great presenter to stir up the crowd, and the esports sector isn’t lacking in talent. Below, we profile some of the most celebrated esports tournament hosts of all time.
Nick “Tasteless” Plott and Dan “Artosis” Stemkoski
This legendary double act has become as synonymous with StarCraft II as leading teams like Team Liquid and T1. Better known as “Tastosis”, this pair made a move to South Korea to become some of the first Western commentators active in the country. They’ve even become video game personalities in their own right, with Blizzard Entertainment calling on them to lend their vocal talents to StarCraft II’s in-game commentary.
Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere
For many League of Legends fans, Eefje Depoortere is the face of the European Championships. During her early career, she made a name for herself on the beauty pageant scene, but she’s no stranger to gaming. In the late 1990s, she was an avid player of the Unreal Tournament, eventually joining the national team. She’s also an experienced journalist with an impressive portfolio of esports-related content under her belt.
She made the jump to esports tournament host in 2013, presenting her first League of Legends European Championships. However, she’s also fronted several World Championships. Want to see what makes Sjokz so popular? Check out the latest LoL fixtures at https://www.1337pro.com/en/lol/tournament-schedule.
James “Kaelaris” Carrol
This British esports caster has made a name for itself across multiple titles, including PUBG, StarCraft, and Warcraft III.He’s one of the most established esports commentators around, having worked consistently for over a decade. Currently, he serves as the in-house commentator for ESL.
Paul “Redeye” Chaloner
Few esports commentators are as recognizable as Paul Chaloner. Although he retired back in 2020 under a cloud of controversy, his accomplishments still set him apart from his contemporaries. His first commentary work preceded streaming platforms and televised esports, with Chaloner becoming a staple of the Quake circuit. However, he’s covered everything from Call of Duty to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in his time.
Ryan Wyatt
Ryan Watt started out as a commentator for Major League Gaming back in 2008. As well as covering events like the Call of Duty National Championship, he was busy behind the scenes as a tournament organizer and referee.
What sets Wyatt apart from other personalities in this list is that he made the jump from the commentary box to the executive chair. After working on gaming projects for the likes of YouTube and Google, he jumped ship to Polygon Studios, where he now serves as CEO.
Sue “Smix” Lee
South Korea is often considered the cradle of the professional esports scenes. While platforms like Twitch have made esports more accessible to the masses, it wouldn’t be right to overlook the contributions of people like Sue “Smix” Lee. Although she hails from the United States, Smix’s bilingual skills have made her the go-to commentator for South Korean esports tournaments. She’s particularly active in StarCraft II circles, although she’s recently become involved with Valorant.