Esports, like any competition, is all about moments. The frame-perfect input, the catastrophic confusion, the lifting of the trophy. All of these clips get to be immortalized by the esports shoutcaster booth, which you can be a part of if you play your cards right.
Commentators breathe life into these tournaments by creating narratives, describing actions, and interpreting meaning. Without meaning, there’s no emotion, and emotion is what keeps the players and audience hooked to the product.
With such an important role, opportunities aren’t handed out; they’re earned. If you’re serious about your esports journey, then you’re in the right place, as here are three tips to get your first serious gigs as an esports shoutcaster from an RLCS Analyst:
1. Find the Right Circles to Connect With
Once you’ve chosen your game, practiced on your own, and have put together a caster reel like we first discussed, you can start to seek out real opportunities in the gaming world, and trust me, there are many avenues to explore.
To even get a chance to knock on the door, you have to be in the same neighborhood, so it is fundamental to stay close to your title’s community. Where there are players, there are tryhards, pros, events, and streams. That is where you come in. Staying connected will allow you to stay up to date with the scene. Even if you’re not getting booked yet, productions will rather take a chance on a passionate, knowledgeable talent than a passionate, dumbfounded one.
Join the official game’s Discord server, follow relevant topics on X, and sign up for tournament emails on platforms like start.gg and Battlefy. One of the most overlooked types of projects is school esports programs, which are always in dire need of an official stream. Consider any and all communities around your esport.
2. Network, Network, Network on Discord, Twitch & X
Once within, your next step will look unnatural unless you feel it in your gut. You’re going to need to socialize. In the day and age of alt accounts, faceless profiles, and lurker culture, esports jobs are heavily influenced by your reputation, big or small, so you'll need to get yourself out there.
You can learn everything there is to know about pros, events, logistics, etc., but nothing will bring you closer to the caster desk than being recognized. So, clean up your handles and pictures, make sure everything's in line, and make real, human connections. Reply to patch notes, look for groups to run ranked, post intriguing questions on the subreddit, and hop on community stream chats. You cannot be a voice for the community if you are not part of the community.
This part is what makes or breaks a shoutcaster's early years, as all users can tell if you aren’t genuine about your interest in the game, the people that run it, and the people that play it. Once you’re one of us, you’ll start to notice all the events that you studied and pros that you watched are only three mutuals away. You’re now in the zone; it’s time to strike a deal.
3. Get Comfortable With Negotiations and Time Zones
Through your many notifications, you’ll meet the people who make the magic happen. Whether it’s a tournament organizer, an official league rep, or an up-and-coming showmatch streamer, they all could use a caster, and you could use the shout.
This is where you confidently reach out with your reel and resume, saying, “I heard about X event” or “saw you’re putting together Y match” – “here’s my stuff” – and wait. Stay quiet and wait. Don’t say you’ll do anything. Don’t say you’ll do it for free. Don’t say you’ll produce on your own.
You’ll be surprised by the budgets people manage in esports, and while you’re trying to cast for the love of the game, this is the part where you slow down and let other people do the talking. Get familiar with fees, payment options, and regions, as you may have to work with currencies, platforms, and time zones outside of your comfort zone.
Before making it to TV and RLCS, yours truly started casting high school championships and APAC streams from 2 am to 6 am. Some paid. Some unpaid. All worth it. Wait for confirmation of the budget, then say yes regardless.
Clip, edit, rinse, and repeat. That new reel will be your key to new doors, so stay up late or work that weekend evening, trust me. You don’t need all yeses; you just need one every once in a while. Remember, there are no perfect opportunities, so stay close, stay informed, and stay ready. If you want to call their shots, you’ve got to shoot your own, and while you do so, GLHF.
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