With Southeast Asia teams like T1 and Fnatic set to feature among the 18 contenders for TI10, SEA pride is strong among this region’s Dota 2 fans.
The likes of Indonesia’s Kenny “Xepher” Deo and Singapore’s Daryl “iceiceice” Koh will be among a group of at least 10 SEA players – with the rest others hailing from the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand – to feature in the October 7-17 event in Romania.
Yet when it comes to SEA casters, that number is a big fat zero. According to various online sources, there are 32 English broadcast talents earmarked for the tournament. And although there will be Asian representation thanks to talents like Kasumi “Sumichu” Yogi and Michelle “Moxxi” Song, the fact that there is not one host, caster, analyst or interviewer from SEA is a bone of contention for some fans.
Pinda Rika Dorji, a Bhutanese gaming and YouTube star, more commonly known as, pindaPanda, was one such player who took to Facebook in expressing her displeasure and opinions after the revelation of English casters for TI10.
In a social media post, the Malaysia-based YouTuber criticised the lack of a SEA caster representative at TI10 games, a disappointing outcome for the SEA members in the community. She justifies this by stating how SEA played a major role to Dota 2’s success, and reasonably so, given her status as an influential SEA icon in the gaming and esports industry.
The 25 year-old currently has more than 600,000 followers on Facebook and 150,000 subscribers on Youtube. A popular Dota 2 gamer, she has been sponsored by big-name brands such as msi gaming and esports organisation fnatic.
Considering her contributions and network in the gaming industry, her displeasure is not unwarranted.
Like pindaPanda claims, there are indeed many talented casters from SEA. So here are just a few suggestions to start the ball rolling:
- Xyclopz
Currently working as a full-time esports caster, Treephob “Xcyclopz” Tiangrong is one such SEA caster who has accumulated a sizable fan base over the years ever since he began casting in 2012. The 35 year-old is an English caster from Thailand who is known for his entertaining commentaries in the SEA Dota 2 scene.
- Johnxfire
John Nathan Fernandez, more popularly known as Johnxfire, is another fan-favourite commentator among Dota 2 fans from the Philippines. Together with Mike “MLP” Le Phoenix from Australia, both veterans of the Dota 2 scene were commentators for the SEA TI10 qualifiers.
- Quiscasts
Next up, we have Marquis, more commonly known as Quiscasts who is both a Valorant and Dota 2 SEA player. Marquis is another potential caster gaining popularity amongst SEA players. Originally from the Philippines, he is currently residing in Singapore and a product marketing manager for FnaticGear.
What do you reckon? Do these guys deserve a shot?
