DoA is the host of the NAL, having come from a variety of esports he’s a certified legend of the space. I had the chance to ask him a few questions about the NAL, his expectations of North America going into the Copenhagen Major, working a desk in new games, and more.
Given how big of a shakeup the NAL had going into 2023, what were you expecting out of this stage?
Sometimes you go into a season and have all these predictions for what’s going to happen and you get to see how those predictions play out. That’s fun, but this season was great for the exact opposite reason. There were so many changes that it was nearly impossible to make any accurate predictions. Who could have predicted how good Beastcoast would be against all those NAL vets? It was a stage of surprises and those are the best ones!
What is your favorite storyline from this Stage?
I have to say Beastcoast again. The org’s come a long way since last year and it’s been fun to see some CL stars (and a couple vets) beat the odds to sneak into the Major. MrB is a great personality to have in the league.
Do you have an underrated storyline you want to highlight?
It’s a negative one, but I’m still shocked at some of OXG’s performances. Sometimes it’s just not your stage, but we know that team is better than they showed in a lot of their S1 games.
Is the NAL more competitive than last year?
I think so! There’s still obvious separation from the top and bottom teams, but the gut feeling is that it’s less than 2022.
Is that a good thing? That is to say, is the region competitive because the overall level has been raised or is it because many teams opted to take 1 step back to take 2 steps forward?
A more competitive field is always a good thing! It would be nice to see some more stability in the rosters stage to stage and year to year, but that’s esports in general right now.
How do you think NA will do at the Major?
I think there’s a level of volatility in performance to the NAL teams right now so it’s hard to predict. We all want NAL to do well, but we’ll see!
This is your second year working in R6, How was the transition to the game from titles like Starcraft, LoL, and Overwatch?
It’s been different since I’m hosting instead of casting. I’m focusing more than ever on the human storylines than game strategy. It’s been fun, but I honestly miss being on the mic during games. I don’t think that’ll ever be me in R6 though!
How does hosting a desk for Siege differ from other titles?
It’s all about the people you have on the desk with you. Your analysts do a lot in terms of influencing how you structure things so it’s not really a game to game difference, but a person to person difference. Some groups I have to really take the reigns and guide the conversation. Others will just go and you’ve got to be the one to keep people on track instead.
You’re a part of Last Free Nation, a company created/owned by you and other legends like MonteCristo and Thorin. Is there anything we should expect from you and the company as far as Siege is concerned?
Nothing planned for now, but there are a couple other shows we’re working on behind the scenes. Hopefully they’ll see the light of day eventually!
And finally, is there anything you’d like to say to close out?
It’s been a pleasure hosting the NAL! The players, casters, analysts, and studio crew have all been fantastic. To be perfectly honest, I’m seriously against the current situation we’ve got where the NAL crew is being flown to EU to cast overnights on NA times. It’s insane. The Blast crew at the studio has been great and they’re putting in the same crazy hours we are, but I don’t see it as a sustainable way to do NAL. We need an NA studio again asap.
Thanks to everyone that’s been watching! I wasn’t asked to host the Major, but maybe I’ll see everyone down the road. GGs