There are situations where she cannot turn off her emotions, says Eefje »Sjokz« Depoortere.
For example, when the 33-year-old Esports presenter interviewed the “League of Legends” professional Marcus “Dyrus” Hill in 2015 after he and his TSM team were eliminated from the group stage of the World Cup.
The 23-year-old player tearfully wanted to apologize to the fans for the failure and at the same time announce the end of his career.
»Sjokz« recognized his situation, refrained from asking questions about the reasons for the qualifying round and built up the young professional to guide him through his exceptional emotional situation.
She reminded him and the fans in the hall of his successes and asked for a farewell applause.
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"Sjokz" is both the show host and an expert
Photo: Michal Konkol / Riot Games
There is often something technical about esports compared to traditional sports.
Gamers in front of computers seem less emotional than sweaty athletes on a running track.
It is situations like this that resolve this issue.
They were formative for the development of esports as a live event.
With her work as a moderator, »Sjokz« managed to bring out the people behind the computers, to make them more accessible to the audience.
The Belgian has been an esports journalist for ten years and is known in the scene as the moderator of European and worldwide "League of Legends" competitions.
The success that esports broadcasts are enjoying today is also due to the work of Depoortere and the young team around them.
In the new episode of our podcast, »Sjokz« tells what distinguishes esports broadcasts from sports shows.
Why she appreciates the close bond with the fans, but sometimes also finds it stressful.
And how it manages to assert itself in the male-dominated gaming scene despite regular headwinds.
Curious?
Scroll to the podcast player at the beginning of the article and listen to the sixth episode of our new SPIEGEL miniseries »Game Changer«.
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