OWCS Asia announces talent line-up, includes polarising exceptions and returns
WDG Esports announced the broadcast talent for the Overwatch Championship Series in Asia, with several familiar faces to the Overwatch community returning. However, notable cuts have been made across all broadcasts too, with several former Overwatch League casters sharing that they have not been invited back.
Wolf and Hexagrams are back
After an extended break from casting professional Overwatch, both Robert "hexagrams" Kirkbride and Wolf "Wolf" Schröder are making a return to the talent booth, bringing back veteran insight from the very beginnings of Overwatch esports.
Wolf had been a shoutcaster for Overwatch esports starting in 2017 with OGN's APEX series, following the instrumental South Korean scene through Overwatch Contenders, eventually joining the cast of the Overwatch League in 2019 and 2020 before departing from the scene and casting League of Legends in the LCK.
A special surprise is hexagrams' return to the profession, having been a creative and broadcast producer on the Overwatch League since 2021. Beforehand, hexagrams was one of the most prolific talents in the Overwatch space.
He started casting the game during the beta days in 2015, such as the GosuGamers Weekly, and quickly became part of the most recognisable casting duo at the time together with co-caster Andrew "ZP" Rush.
OWL casters Seth "Achilios" King and Minseong "Unknown" Kim are also returning to the English broadcast, with new faces in caster Daniel "Gclef" Na and former San Francisco Shock coach Bumhoon "NineK" Kim rounding out the cast.
Notable absentees
"At this point in time I am not currently involved in any official capacity with the OWCS," wrote former Overwatch League caster and fan-favourite Kevin "AVRL" Walker who has been covering the Asian and Pacific scene for over half a decade.
"As mentioned in my previous tweet the likely path forward will be to expand content on my Twitch stream for now as I figure out my next steps. Not too sure what my future in esports will be," the Australian caster added. He's one of many former Overwatch League talent who have posted similar messages on their social media.
Jennifer "LemonKiwi" Pichette also opened up about her situation on Twitter, sharing that she had not received an offer to join the OWCS talent for 2024. LemonKiwi and Harry "LEGDAY" Pollitt celebrated their debut in the Overwatch League in 2022, casting both the North American and Asian regions.
"Unfortunately, the budget could not support another duo in NA or APAC. This comes as a shock to me, and I can’t put into words how devastated I am," she shared, also noting that she would be continuing her career in Rocket League.
The cast for the North American and European broadcast has not been shared yet though news is expected soon. OWCS Asia is kicking off next week on February 26, while North America has to wait until March 9 for its broadcast to be aired.
