



Auguste "Semmler" Massonnat

What made your decision casting CS:GO rather than SC2? And, did you have any past experience with CS? — maxaki





My interest in SC2 faded with the launch of HotS. I had reached my goal of Masters league, the new units weren’t appealing to me, and I wasn’t getting my teamplay fix. I looked to DotA2 for a while, due to the GD Studio’s focus on it, but the game wasn’t doing it for me either (too slow). It was at that point that I decided to give GO another try, and was instantly hooked on the new MM feature. I had never played in competitive matches back in 1.6 and Source, messing around with Surf and DM more than anything (I had no idea about irc matches etc), so when it came to GO and how easy it was to get a team of 5 together and play, that was it, I was addicted. When it comes to commentary, CS fits my style more than SC2. I can really get excited with CS, and share that with the viewers, whereas in SC2, due to the accepted style of commentary, I’m much more limited. CS is just a natural fit. My interest in SC2 faded with the launch of HotS. I had reached my goal of Masters league, the new units weren’t appealing to me, and I wasn’t getting my teamplay fix. I looked to DotA2 for a while, due to the GD Studio’s focus on it, but the game wasn’t doing it for me either (too slow). It was at that point that I decided to give GO another try, and was instantly hooked on the new MM feature. I had never played in competitive matches back in 1.6 and Source, messing around with Surf and DM more than anything (I had no idea about irc matches etc), so when it came to GO and how easy it was to get a team of 5 together and play, that was it, I was addicted. When it comes to commentary, CS fits my style more than SC2. I can really get excited with CS, and share that with the viewers, whereas in SC2, due to the accepted style of commentary, I’m much more limited. CS is just a natural fit.

How did you meet Anders and when did you two decide to cast together? — WZY





Anders and I were at Copenhagen Games last year to watch the games, but we didn’t know each other then. It wasn’t until later in the year, after I had started commentating regularly (Starseries group matches etc), that I tracked him down on Skype and we decided to give commentating together a shot. It was a bit like a date, really. We talked about this n’ that, got to know each other, and decided to see where it went. It’s gone pretty well so far. Anders and I were at Copenhagen Games last year to watch the games, but we didn’t know each other then. It wasn’t until later in the year, after I had started commentating regularly (Starseries group matches etc), that I tracked him down on Skype and we decided to give commentating together a shot. It was a bit like a date, really. We talked about this n’ that, got to know each other, and decided to see where it went. It’s gone pretty well so far.

How did you get in contact with James, 2gd, and what made you move to sweden to join him in the gdhouse? Did you struggle in the beginning of your casting career regarding money and a place to live. Pros n cons regarding the life you live as a caster/streamer? — FreeKillEMP / nyff





I met James in person at Dreamhack Summer several years ago when he asked me to fly over and cast the Bloodline Champions tournament he was hosting. It wasn’t until Dreamhack Winter, later that year, that we came up with the idea for the GD Studio. I packed up my life in Los Angeles and shipped myself to Sweden to live in a house with Apollo, James, Trance, and Will, in order to produce content full time. It was my golden opportunity to start working in esports, to build something from scratch; there was no way I was going to miss it.



The following year and a half were a struggle, seeing as how the BLC competitive scene had died, which left me adrift. I lived off of hosting and casting gigs for Starcraft 2, as well as some of the projects we had running in the house. Without having the house to live in, I wouldn’t have been able to support myself solely off of esports work. There just wasn’t enough money in doing live gigs at the time, and Stockholm is not a cheap city to live in.



The pros and cons can blend sometimes, but I work on growing something that’s mine with Anders, in an industry that I love. It’s the dream job. You’re never off the clock, and in you’re in the public eye, and that can be something that wears on you at times, but then, it’s not something that feels like “work”, it’s what I want to do. I met James in person at Dreamhack Summer several years ago when he asked me to fly over and cast the Bloodline Champions tournament he was hosting. It wasn’t until Dreamhack Winter, later that year, that we came up with the idea for the GD Studio. I packed up my life in Los Angeles and shipped myself to Sweden to live in a house with Apollo, James, Trance, and Will, in order to produce content full time. It was my golden opportunity to start working in esports, to build something from scratch; there was no way I was going to miss it.The following year and a half were a struggle, seeing as how the BLC competitive scene had died, which left me adrift. I lived off of hosting and casting gigs for Starcraft 2, as well as some of the projects we had running in the house. Without having the house to live in, I wouldn’t have been able to support myself solely off of esports work. There just wasn’t enough money in doing live gigs at the time, and Stockholm is not a cheap city to live in.The pros and cons can blend sometimes, but I work on growing something that’s mine with Anders, in an industry that I love. It’s the dream job. You’re never off the clock, and in you’re in the public eye, and that can be something that wears on you at times, but then, it’s not something that feels like “work”, it’s what I want to do.





Semmler tillsammans med Apollo under THOR Open 2012.

If you were to be one of the best players in the world in any given game, which game would you choose? (dont have salary or prize money in consideration) — vuggo





Super Smash Bros Melee. Without taking prize pool, salary, or size of the scene into account, definitely SSBM. I played a silly amount of Melee and Brawl with my friends growing up, and the depth of the game, the freedom to do whatever you could think of, if you were fast enough, was addictive and incredibly satisfying. I played in some Brawl tournaments, having missed the Melee scene, but never went far. My friends Solal and Greg were the ones pushing our “crew” into the upper bracket. I’ve been thinking of picking up a copy of the game off of ebay to muck about with when I need a break from CS. Ideas... (dont have salary or prize money in consideration) —Super Smash Bros Melee. Without taking prize pool, salary, or size of the scene into account, definitely SSBM. I played a silly amount of Melee and Brawl with my friends growing up, and the depth of the game, the freedom to do whatever you could think of, if you were fast enough, was addictive and incredibly satisfying. I played in some Brawl tournaments, having missed the Melee scene, but never went far. My friends Solal and Greg were the ones pushing our “crew” into the upper bracket. I’ve been thinking of picking up a copy of the game off of ebay to muck about with when I need a break from CS. Ideas...

If you could interview anyone you'd like, who would that be? Do not take into consideration if that person is alive or not. — Tedic





Julius Caesar. One of the greatest military commanders, ruler of Rome, loved by his people, and deified after his assassination, though he might not be able to speak to that last bit. Fathered a son to one of the most powerful women of all time, Cleopatra! I’ll have to let slide him conquering the Gauls, but that would make for one hell of an interesting conversation. Julius Caesar. One of the greatest military commanders, ruler of Rome, loved by his people, and deified after his assassination, though he might not be able to speak to that last bit. Fathered a son to one of the most powerful women of all time, Cleopatra! I’ll have to let slide him conquering the Gauls, but that would make for one hell of an interesting conversation.

Hello, I'm a new caster casting for FACEIT, my DREAM is to cast for a huge audience, how did you make it to your spot today, and how would you suggest a 14 year old caster to start up? — VOLTIE





Cast and cast some more. I started casting Bloodline Champions, and decided that in order to improve, I needed to cast every day, all of the tournament matches I could get my hands on. It got to the point where I was waking up at 5:30 in the morning so that I could get to work at 6, in order to be able to leave by 3PM and make it home in time to start casting the daily cups that started around 4. Watch your own casts, no matter how painful that might be, and listen for words that you say too often, mistakes, delivery, etc. Follow the teams and the results, and figure out what makes a team special, what sets them apart from the rest. All of that goes into your cast. Just keep at it, and good luck! Cast and cast some more. I started casting Bloodline Champions, and decided that in order to improve, I needed to cast every day, all of the tournament matches I could get my hands on. It got to the point where I was waking up at 5:30 in the morning so that I could get to work at 6, in order to be able to leave by 3PM and make it home in time to start casting the daily cups that started around 4. Watch your own casts, no matter how painful that might be, and listen for words that you say too often, mistakes, delivery, etc. Follow the teams and the results, and figure out what makes a team special, what sets them apart from the rest. All of that goes into your cast. Just keep at it, and good luck!

What CS:GO event in 2014 do you look forward towards the most and why? — willy125





The next Major, volvo pls? All joking aside, Dreamhack Winter has always been my favorite event, just because of how massive the venue is, totally packed with people, noise, music, games. The atmosphere is amazing, with all of the players travelling to compete from around the world. No idea what the future holds, regarding Valve’s support, but I’d be amazed if there wasn’t a CS tourney to get hype about at Winter. The next Major, volvo pls? All joking aside, Dreamhack Winter has always been my favorite event, just because of how massive the venue is, totally packed with people, noise, music, games. The atmosphere is amazing, with all of the players travelling to compete from around the world. No idea what the future holds, regarding Valve’s support, but I’d be amazed if there wasn’t a CS tourney to get hype about at Winter.





Semmler (höger) tillsammans med Anders Blume (vänster)

och Duncan "Thorin" Shields (mitten)

Who is your favorite player and why? — Nibben





Devilwalk. He’s a genuine class act, one of the best CSGO and esports have to offer. Devilwalk. He’s a genuine class act, one of the best CSGO and esports have to offer. Just watch this

Y0 Semmler man! Wanted to say I appreciate what you are doing for the scene with Anders, you two are my favorite commentators, youre work is really great! So, for my question: Is it hard to commentate, if you are commentating a team you cheer for more than the other?

— DIOdorant





As commentators, we have to remain unbiased when it comes to the match and how we describe it to the stream. It can become a test in self control at times, keeping unbiased, because maybe you heard some shady stuff about one team, and may not want to see them do well because of it. Or you know another team has been working very hard, and you want to see them succeed because of it. Maybe you’re just a fan of one team’s style over another’s. When the stream goes live, you have to push all of the irrelevant information and feelings out of the picture, and focus on what’s important and happening in the match. You’ve got fans of both teams watching, and it wouldn’t be fair to them if you’re overhyping one team. I fail at this sometimes, and have to take a mental step back and find the middle ground. This is different from when one team is outright dominating another. In this case, you can’t help but give the winning team credit where credit is due. When it comes to that situation, it’s about not going over the top with your praise. Shox is a G.O.D, right? As commentators, we have to remain unbiased when it comes to the match and how we describe it to the stream. It can become a test in self control at times, keeping unbiased, because maybe you heard some shady stuff about one team, and may not want to see them do well because of it. Or you know another team has been working very hard, and you want to see them succeed because of it. Maybe you’re just a fan of one team’s style over another’s. When the stream goes live, you have to push all of the irrelevant information and feelings out of the picture, and focus on what’s important and happening in the match. You’ve got fans of both teams watching, and it wouldn’t be fair to them if you’re overhyping one team. I fail at this sometimes, and have to take a mental step back and find the middle ground. This is different from when one team is outright dominating another. In this case, you can’t help but give the winning team credit where credit is due. When it comes to that situation, it’s about not going over the top with your praise. Shox is a G.O.D, right?

If you would make a McTitan burger what ingredients would you use for it? — Kjiiter





A baguette with pate de canard, mustard, and cornichons. Maybe some gruyere. A baguette with pate de canard, mustard, and cornichons. Maybe some gruyere.

How is it working with Anders? How does your success feel and how do you think you will develop on this further? — Ph3noM





Anders is the bro. It stuns me to think of how far we’ve come over the past year. The channel has grown in popularity, we were hired to cast Dreamhack Winter, a major event, and we’re working with the top tournament organizers in the world. Going forward, the next step for us now is to take the results of the test tournament that we ran a few weeks past, that saw massive success, and build on it. To create more opportunities for the players to earn money, and thus more content for the community. The majority of our work is going towards that goal, regular events that both the players and the community can get excited about. Anders is the bro. It stuns me to think of how far we’ve come over the past year. The channel has grown in popularity, we were hired to cast Dreamhack Winter, a major event, and we’re working with the top tournament organizers in the world. Going forward, the next step for us now is to take the results of the test tournament that we ran a few weeks past, that saw massive success, and build on it. To create more opportunities for the players to earn money, and thus more content for the community. The majority of our work is going towards that goal, regular events that both the players and the community can get excited about.





Semmler under Copenhagen Games 2014.

What would you work with if you did not work as a caster? — Zepriox





I have trouble imagining doing something for a living that’s not commentary. The first thing that comes to mind is a job offer I had to become a blacksmith for a company that produces wrought iron hardware in Vietnam. I worked with antique restoration in the past, and I’ve restored and maintained sailboats(the best summer jobs I’ve had yet). I’ve done sales, retail and wholesale, and I’ve worked in restaurants and coffee shops. Working in sales and marketing makes the most sense, after working in the esports industry for several years. I would approach a company tied to our circle and go from there. I have trouble imagining doing something for a living that’s not commentary. The first thing that comes to mind is a job offer I had to become a blacksmith for a company that produces wrought iron hardware in Vietnam. I worked with antique restoration in the past, and I’ve restored and maintained sailboats(the best summer jobs I’ve had yet). I’ve done sales, retail and wholesale, and I’ve worked in restaurants and coffee shops. Working in sales and marketing makes the most sense, after working in the esports industry for several years. I would approach a company tied to our circle and go from there.

How do you like like it in Sweden so far? And what´s the hardest part moving here for you? — ThaBojakaa





Allow me to provide you with the Allow me to provide you with the link to a wonderful blog describing life in Sweden as an immigrant ! Whoever runs this blog does a pretty damn good job summing everything up. The systembolaget and its ridiculously overpriced alcohol is probably my biggest gripe, apart from the months when it’s cold enough to snow and it’s not snowing. Otherwise, I love the city, the seasons, and the people are cool, in a svenska way. The countryside is eerily beautiful, and the sky seems bigger, somehow. There’s something special here, and I’ve grown to appreciate it.