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For someone who once named himself 'Dead on Arrival' (DoA) when learning a new FPS, Erik "DoA" Lonnquist has come a long way from his humble start to become one of the most popular casters in the League of Legends scene.



The role of the caster is to impart both interesting information to the viewers of a game, but also to entertain. It's their energy and enthusiasm that separates their games from a simple replay. But the best casters become a force of personality themselves. They're an integral part of eSports, just as much as the players themselves are.



The best players in the world can carry their team to victory no matter the odds. The best casters can carry a broadcast and make anything worth watching.







DoA had been spending his time in London being 외롭다 (were you paying attention to his Korean lesson just now?), so we extended an invite to him to go to Nandos with us for an interview. DoA was pretty excited as the waitress handed us the menus. "Man, I finally get to try this. After I flew into London everyone was telling me I had to come here, and I was seeing pictures of Nandos all over Twitter and everything." Once we had ordered our food, we settled back down at our table. "So, what do you want to know about me then?"

For many viewers in the League of Legends community, their first experience of DoA would be his funny and witty casting broadcasting live from the OnGameNet studios in Korea, bringing laughs and joy beamed through a series of tubes to their screens. For some of the grizzled eSports veteran watchers, they may remember their first experience with DoA from his time casting the Global StarCraft II League (GSL). But for some, their first experience with DoA was 5 years ago, when a passionate eSports fan started uploaded videos to YouTube and posting them on his blog on TeamLiquid.



The early Starcraft II scene was like the Wild West. It was a time of dreams, dreams built upon the history of the majesty of Brood War. The dreams of players making their first first tentative steps into a new competitive world. The dreams of fans watching the birth of a new scene. And the dreams of some in the community who just want to contribute.



The passion of fans manifests itself in many ways from contributing to Liquipedia, to fanart and more. But for some, they ventured into the unexplored frontier of the Starcraft Wild West to cast. Husky, HDStarcraft, TotalBiscuit, PsY, Trump, diggitySC, and more. So what made DoA want to step into the saturated field of YouTube talent?



"I mean, I never thought it was a saturated market. I just treated it as a hobby you know. I camped the replay sites, trying to be the fastest to cast the latest game that just got released. I never cared that much about views or getting noticed. I did it just for fun and to see if people enjoyed it."



At the time and for many years, the Global StarCraft II League (GSL) in Korea run by GomTV was the biggest Starcraft tournament. Like in Brood War, Korea had become the centerpoint of the competitive scene. Foreign fans would stay up at ungodly hours of the night or morning just to tune in live to watch their favourite players. The GSL was the place to be for Starcraft.



And yet, only a few scant months after he started uploading videos to YouTube, DoA soon found himself whisked away from watching the GSL to casting in the GSL.







"So when my YouTube channel hit a thousand subscribers in like, a month, I started taking it much more seriously. It was still a fun hobby for me, but I had a following now so I felt compelled to improve." He pauses to take a drink of water from his glass before continuing.



"You know, I originally wasn't going to apply for the casting gig at the GSL but a friend told me to apply so I sent in an application. And then when the GSL gives you an offer, I mean I had to do it right? Maybe at the end of it all I'd go back to Minnesota, and it'd be a good experience but couldn't turn it down. I was one of the first post-Tastosis casters, so I knew everyone was going to hate you. But I had too much fun, and I had to try my best. I didn't care about the hate you know?" DoA takes another sip of water. "What did I learn the most from my time there? Hmmm. Really it's the business side of things. Learning how to be your own boss, and learning how to take care of finances."



Our conversation is interrupted as the waitress comes over with our food. DoA takes out his phone.



"Everyone is taking pictures of food, it's really big in Korea. I'm just going to take a photo for my girlfriend of me enjoying the food..." He picks up the plate of wings and poses. "Heh, this is also going on Twitter." Planning on uploading it to Instagram as well with all the filters? "No filters yet," he laughs. "I'm not that hardcore yet."







As we tuck into the food, the topic shifts away from Starcraft to life in Korea. "There's a bit of a language barrier. But the average person on street is so friendly and willing to help and there's the cultural vibe. It's like Minnesota you know? Quiet, friendly, conservative. Someone from South Korea could fit in rural Minnesota. So it was an easy transition. As for what I miss... well there's not much that I miss. It's mainly just family and friends. Overall everything good. Low cost of living, internet is great. I get to watch NFL in better quality than in America!" My ears perk up at this. What team does DoA support?



"Well, I actually support the Green Bay Packers. I was born in Wisconsin so even though I grew up in Minnesota I see it as dual citizenship sort of thing. And that's how I was raised as Packers fan. I respect Vikings though. We can both can hate the Bears together!"



DoA grabs another wing from the plate. We're eating the Roulette Wings, a plate of wings in differing spice levels and you don't know how spicy they are until you eat it. "Don't think I've managed to get one of the super spicy ones yet, sadly. Let's try using the hot sauces here then." He carves out some meat from the chicken and pours on the spiciest sauce available - Extra Hot.







"Hm, it's alright. About average spice." We talk about the differences in food and taste as DoA helps himself to more hot sauce. "Korean food is all about the spice and heat. It's so great, especially after a night out of drinking Soju you know? Getting to sweat it all out."



How is his fluency in Korean coming along then? "Now I'm slightly more than conversational. I can have chats in many topics and I've got a girlfriend willing to practise and teach me. But.. I just feel like should be better than I am now. I've thought about taking classes but having an eSports schedule makes it so hard to commit. Like in the morning I have Skype calls, NA shows, and then there's my regular job so I have to self teach. Well, I suppose it's good enough, but I really want to be fluent someday though."

As DoA demolishes another wing, I turn the conversation towards his casting endeavours after his stint at the GSL. Following his initial debut in Korea, DoA spent a while in various other roles such as casting for the IGN ProLeague (IPL) before finally landing his current position casting the OGN Champions.



"So I was friends with Kevin Knocke at IGN and there were things I needed to sort out back in America so I took some time out. After those were resolved I then wanted to go back to Korea. IPL was great and I made some good friends but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. So TorcH, who's now with Blizzard, told me that OGN was looking for casters and they picked me up."







"I was really lucky to have such a smooth transition. I had built some good relations while in Korea so people wanted me. There was no room at GomTV and it was where I started, but in retrospect got a lot more out of joining OGN than GomTV." It was here at OGN that DoA would meet his future partner-in-crime MonteCristo and they casted the OnGameNet Starleague (OSL) together. However, for their Starcraft commentary it would be DoA taking the role of the colour and analytical caster and Monte doing the play-by-play.



"When I got the chance to cast the OSL I mean, I felt like I really had to live up to it. The pressure for that tournament, the prestige of the OSL from Brood War, I was so honoured to be part of the team. But I never wanted to be an analyst when casting. Back at IPL I had to take on that role because Kevin was super busy doing a lot of managing and other admin work, so I had to watch replays and do research. I worked on more stats at IPL than anywhere else."

For any freelance caster, you need to be familiar with all big games.

"As for the story of how I ended up casting League... well ok let's backtrack a bit. So back when I was in Korea casting the GSL I lived with TorcH and one time Rachel Seltzer visited and was like 'Hey you gotta try this game called League of Legends!' I had never played a MOBA before, although I had played something similar in an SC2 Custom Game though." DoA frowns for a moment and tilts his head. "Gah, I can't remember what the name was." He shrugs and continues.



"I played LoL casually. The first champion I played was Annie because she was on the Free Week rotation and afterwards I spammed games just to buy her. Actually you know, I played Support Annie and got flamed for it. I was always like 'Hey you know guys, she has a lot of stuns!'" He chuckles and nods as he thinks back to those days. "Man, I felt vindicated when Tabe played her at Worlds in Season 3!"



"So at IPL I sat next to RedBaron and HatPerson (the LoL casters for IPL). I played a lot with them and also with Matt Marcou (the then eSports manager at Riot). I could see LoL getting bigger so I said to myself that I should learn this game, just in case. I learnt about all of the pro teams and I only knew basics of the game. But it was enough that when OGN asked I could cast League I said yes. For any freelance caster, you need to be familiar with all big games."



As conversations are wont to do, we proceeded to get sidetracked and started talking about the other big games and eSports titles.



"Heroes of the Storm is a fun game. I play Kael'Thas cause he feels like Annie. But I think that the game has some problems. Not having items is fine and the maps are nice but not needing to cs and it's not fun if you're not playing in a group of people." DoA pauses to think for a moment. "Well the biggest problem for Heroes is that it can came after League and DotA. It's like putting out an MMO after World of Warcraft. Wildstar is example where the game is good but came after the age of WoW. It's like you play it and you've done it before. That's the same problem with Heroes. It can never take following away from the big two of League and DotA."



What about other Blizzard games like Overwatch? "Man, I can't wait for it get beta and just play it a ton haha, it looks pretty good!" And Hearthstone? "Oh man, when I saw Hearthstone I needed to cast it. I've been playing collectible card games for ages now. Something like a 20 year history running all the way back to Magic the Gathering."



We take some time to talk about the old times in Magic the Gathering. "Yeah I started playing in Ice Ace and 3rd Edition. I played in a lot of local tournaments, although not stuff like the PTQs though. But you know what I think the best card game of all time is? It's got to be the Star Wars card game by Decipher. It was a card game in the... mid-late 90s I think. It was like the chess of CCGs. I played that a lot. You know, I actually was top 5 in my region for that game haha!"







As we continue talking about games, the topic of DotA naturally comes up. "I enjoy watching DotA but it's not something I could cast. It's better if I go all-in on one game." Well, what about those games at the World Cyber Games (WCG)? DoA shakes his head laughing. "Oh man, those games! Alright so let me tell you about them..."







"So for WCG we were sent there and didn't know what to cast. And then when I was told I was going to be covering DotA I did research to learn about the teams and the game itself. But it was very spur of the moment you know? There was so little time to prepare. I was told the game client would be in English so I thought that well, if it's in English then I can yell names and abilities. But then when we got into the game everything was in Chinese and I just said to myself 'Well, whatever'. I decided then that if I can't be good, then I can be entertaining. I was very open with the DotA community that I was just trying my best and I feel like they were understanding of it all." He smiles as he drinks from his water, but as he sets his cup back down a thought visibly pops into his head.



"Actually you know, not many people realise that my co-caster with me is Brendan Valdes. He's now casting the new Starcraft Proleague."







So for 8-10 hrs a day I would do nothing but study, watch, and play League of Legends.

We returned to the topic of DoA's entry into League of Legends as the last of the chicken disappeared from the table.



"So after OGN asked me to cast League, I did a lot of research. The OSL was over and there was about 2 months I think till the first League broadcast. So for 8-10 hrs a day I would do nothing but study, watch, and play League of Legends. TorcH was still in Korea at the time so I went with him and some buddies to a PC Bang and play. I really wanted to do a good job. I even got an app on my phone which would bring up the names of champions to help me memorise abilities." So basically like flash cards then? "Yeah I suppose you could put it that way. There was just so much sheer memorisation involved, with over a hundred champions and needing to know everything about them."



He pushes aside his plate as he finishes his food and continues on. "I didn't know if I could switch games from one full time to another. I knew I had to do a good job but I also felt a bit lost thinking about what to do. I knew I had Monte and that could ask him questions. So I decided that I wanted to be an avatar of the fans. If I was a fan what would I want to ask and also learn? I wasn't going to be just another caster. I also decided to focus on humour. Not many others casters were doing this at the time, and I wanted to be different. Like me to the nth degree. I played support at the time and that's how things like the 'bloodthirsty supports' thing got started."







As a caster I see it as competition too.

"So I first met Monte on the train to go to Busan. Actually, Monte just got to Korea. Working with him has been great. He's always easy to work with, and we're open with each other about what needs improving and making changes. He knows a lot too." So how do the pair make changes and improve then? Reviewing videos of their own casts perhaps?



"No, I don't like watching my own casts much. It's a bit of a failing of mine to be honest. But I remember what I didn't like. Monte and I, we talk about this. Things like 'You cut me off when I was talking. I didn't like when you did this.' I'm hard on myself and if I didn't do well enough I will rage, like get genuinely angry. As a caster I see it as competition too. It's not like the same way as a player. But if I'm not living up to my expectations then I need to try harder."



We continue chatting about his experience as a caster, comparing his time in Starcraft to his career now in League.



"Back in the Code A days casting GSL, I used to give myself a pep talk. I had to go out there and do the best I could. The pressure on me goes away when I start to cast. I have to be confident that the preparation I've done before a cast is enough, because if I have any negative pressure then it takes away from my performance. For me, my main priority is that I need to feel satisfied I did enough preparation. Once the game begins then it's all fun. Well, until I blow a teamfight. And then I get angry. My nerves though, those went away a long time ago. I don't get nervous any more. It's like I've transitioned away from that - if there's a bigger audience there's a bigger thrill."

The waitress comes to take our plates and asks if we want to have any desert, or perhaps some tea or coffee. "Are you having any? I'm not really planning on having any, I'm pretty full right now." DoA flips over to the drinks section. "Ah, I'll have a coffee actually." Very American. As is proper for an afternoon meal though, I order some tea.

In the run-up to Worlds DoA announced that sadly, he had been excluded from the original on-air team.







However, after an outpouring of support from all over the community, when the finalised team was announced he had been rightfully restored as part of the broadcasting team.



"The community support for me... It's bizarre, I feel like I'll never get used to it." DoA bites his bottom lip. "I love meeting fans, and I having so many people around the globe who like what I do. But I'm so humbled. I don't think I'm great. I feel so lucky that people love me. I feel crushed if I ever have to say no to anyone. Part of my success is due to the fans. I've somehow managed to cultivate this fan base and I want to do more for them somehow, someday."



When we first sat down at Nandos a fan had gotten up from his table and walked over to ours, trying not to explode in joy at meeting DoA. "Are.. are you DoA? Oh man, I love your casting! I wanted to say hi and, uh, oh! I hope I'm not disturbing anything?"



At Nandos, you go the the counter to order food and have it delivered to your table rather than placing an order with the waiters and waitresses. I had just been getting up to walk off and place an order at the counter but I noticed how DoA had seemed a bit conflicted. Technically this was an interview and he was trying to be professional, but he also didn't want to turn away a fan. As interviews go though, this was a pretty casual one. So I smiled and shrugged since this wasn't really bothering us at all, so it was a happy ending for everyone. But as we talked about his fans, I couldn't help but remember this little interaction from earlier.

The waitress comes over with our drinks. "This is pretty good coffee mmm." DoA looks across the table to my tea and sees that it's been served in a silk tea bag. For what is basically a chain restaurant that serves grilled chicken, it's pretty fancy stuff.



We pick up the conversation again and I ask DoA what his most favourite moments he's casted are. Oh, but he's not allowed to say the Faker vs Ryu Zed showdown. "I can't say that one? Oh man. That series was so unbelievable though. Like, holy crap that was amazing game, amazing situation." He strums his fingers on his table as he begins to think out loud in a stream of consciousness, replaying the multitude of games he's casted in his mind.



"So in Starcraft there were the GSTL games. That finals where MMA faced down DongRaeGu on... Metalopolis? Yeah it was Metalopolis. That's got to be one of my best memories. I had really gotten to know MMA and the players on Team SlayerS so I was really rooting for them."







"I also have to bring up that Kiwikaki vs Stephano game at IPL3 and those Mothership recalls. That one was on Shattered Temple right? The crowd was just on fire that game. IPL3 was also my first time casting live in front of a crowd."







"For LoL it has to be that SKT T1 vs KT Rolster finals series. All of the Korean finals are good though. That thrill of victory and the agony of defeat both playing out on stage. For my favourite player though, in Starcraft even before going to the GSL I really liked Leenock and Losira. But for my all time favourite it's MMA. He's such a nice guy, and a great Terran. He has great mechanics. He embodied what it meant to be a good Terran. The multitasking, the Medivac drops, all pushed to heights never seen before." He chuckles and takes a drink from his coffee.



"For League, lots of players come and go..." DoA pauses for a while before answering. "It's really hard not to say Faker. That's like not saying Michael Jordan when he was at his peak you know? But if I had to say someone apart from him, I'd say Piccaboo and his roaming support for doing it even when others not doing it. He can also speak English you know? Also, very little can ever match Madlife's early Blitzcrank games. Those games still are one of the best."







As we finish our drinks the conversation meanders again, and we find ourselves talking about the Overwatch beta. Is DoA maybe thinking about moving into that or other games?



"Overwatch? Sure it's something to think about. Actually you know before I got into eSports I was really into Fighting Games and First-Person Shooters (FPS). Counter-Strike isn't big in Korea and I'd struggle to get into it. I last played... 1.5 I think with friends in college? It's also got a long history, and it would be hard to cast in a way that does service to it. Overwatch though is brand new. I'd also love to cast Smash at some point but won't happen in Korea. But really the biggest question is one of time commitment. Casting two games is already a lot. Three games would probably be too many casting days. I know that if I cast three games my voice won't hold up."







DoA pushes his cup aside and sighs. "I can keep pace for now. It's really important to take care of your voice as a caster, and have a company that respect you and your need to take care of your voice. You know, when I was still doing Starcraft and League I tore my throat, and I got a staph infection. The doctor told me that either I had to work less days, or I had to find a new career. I didn't want to give up casting. So I went to OGN and talked to them, and then they capped the number of days I have to work. As a caster, your voice is your job." His tone picks up a bit. "Events like this are good, I only have to work one day. And in Korea I do two days League, two days Hearthstone. I cut back on Champions, we brought PapaSmithy in. It was hard not to be able to cast all the Champions games anymore. But I also wanted to add Hearthstone to my work. Well, I'm not sure how many people knew that." He chuckles. "We had a bad Azubu deal but we're back on Twitch now."



How's everything going with PapaSmithy then? "Oh we've got a great working relationship. We've tried to get him for several years. Monte recommended him, and I casted with him at WCG 2014. We both really wanted him but it just took a while to finally get him over. He's a great analyst and he really strengthens the LoL broadcast. Tricasts are great too. He can also handle Hearthstone, and managed to make a name in HS. Worked at the APAC championships. We're really lucky to have him and it's worked out wonderfully!"

"The biggest thing that will kill an eSports career is having too big of an ego."

We start talking about the newer casters in the scene, and their growth. What advice would DoA give to new casters starting out?



"Well, more broadly about anyone wanting to be in an eSports career I'd recommend going on a course that teaches film or TV production. For casting doing things like debate, singing, public speaking, improv, all that stuff helps trains your voice. Also I get these messages where people tell me 'I made a video but no one will watch it!' And I'll watch stuff if people send them. I'm not too high that I don't have time for stuff like this. But I also see people who only make one video. You need to be consistent. Consistency is king. This shows two things. One, it shows companies you are willing to work long and hard towards goals. Two, you personally keep improving. If keep making them then it's also a way to get noticed. Maybe you're not cut out for it, but keep trying. And could be something else too, there's always a need for AV people."







DoA leans back for a moment and stops to think. "The biggest thing that will kill an eSports career is having too big of an ego. Do it because you enjoy it. Money will come if you're good and keep working at it, but it's not about being rich or famous. Even the most famous eSports celebs are like, Z-list celebs. There are the types of people who make it big one game but not the next. If you do things like demand unreasonable stuff, companies and organisations won't want you. You alienate people."



I ask DoA if he's seen the recent series by the YouTuber Jesse Cox called The Salt. He hasn't but after I mention a few of the 'behind the scenes' moments mentioned in the video he nods in agreement.



"Yeah, there are some people who get big, but then build a bad reputation with organisations and the industry. When their names come up, people roll their eyes and all that. Maybe they last one or two years and then disappear."

I still secretly want to be a standup comedian!

There's a pause in the conversation as I tidy up the paper I've been writing on, and I notice a common theme in quite a few of DoA's answers. There's a lot of references to humour and trying to be funny. I decide to ask DoA about this. Was this something that always came naturally to him?



"Well, I was never the class clown so to speak, or looking for attention. I just liked to make my family and friends laugh. During school I was also really into like Weird Al, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and I did improv at college. I really love improv and self referential humour. And I feel like it really jives with internet generation. I still secretly want to be a standup comedian!"



DoA tilts his head slightly. "For serious games you still need to be serious. But I believe that if you can inject humour and fun into something, then do it. I use casting as a way to be professionally funny, heh. I'd love to do more humorous content, but it'd be more outside of casting."

The conversation naturally moves towards future plans. How about a YouTube standup comedy channel? It worked for his Starcraft casting after all. He laughs at the suggestion. "Maybe someday."



So in the future what's Old Man DoA doing then?



"I dunno man. That's one of the scary but also fun things to think about. I won't be casting, my voice will be... I don't want to abuse my voice. Maybe I'll move into another part of the industry. I wanted to do game design as a kid. Although maybe something else would be a better fit. Something like community management. I'd still be a public face and get the community interaction. Maybe the spokesperson somewhere. Blizzard perhaps? Ooh, or maybe doing like story or design or coming up with ideas. I'm actually clueless about process for these things honestly. But I know I'll still involved with games."

People like me, we're putting down the building blocks for the future.

He pauses thoughtfully as I ask what he wants to get out of his casting career.



"One big hope from my casting career is that the people who come after me, they're more famous. They reach more viewers. They make more money than me. People like me, we're putting down the building blocks for the future. If you just grab the money and go then you're doing everyone a disservice. We're building the future of this industry. We're here to make the ones who come after able to be more successful. Man, I'd love to see future casters with multimillion dollar contracts. That's what I want out of my legacy."



He laughs quietly. "Work hard as you can. If you do a good job then money will come to you. And you know, I just want more people to be able to enjoy watching people fight each other in a video game."



Those are pretty humble aspirations. Is that really it?



"Hm. Maybe I'll run for president of the United States of America. DoA 2020, you heard it here first!"





