The Australian commentator for Apex Legends, Brad “im_b_rad” Lusher, stirred controversy on Twitter on June 11 by stating that he viewed casters as being the “least important part” of esports broadcasts, suggesting they ought to earn lower pay.
The backlash from some of his colleagues was swift and critical, catching im_b_rad off guard. Renowned casters from various esports vocally disagreed, with some expressing offense, while others attempted to justify the invaluable role of casters in esports.
The negative reactions included responses from former Overwatch League caster Erik “DoA” Lonnquist and Overwatch League caster Mitch “Uber” Leslie, both of whom critiqued im_b_rad’s viewpoint harshly.
Brennan Wright, senior product manager at Generation Esports, delivered one of the best comebacks to im_b_rad’s statement.
Wright conveyed to im_b_rad that plenty of esports enthusiasts periodically revisit old matches owing to memorable comments from commentators. He provided examples of this with quotes from Callum “Shogun” Keir and Matthew “Sadokist” Trivett.
Jason “Alchemist” Baker, a seasoned esports professional who has worked at ELEAGUE, ESL, and MLG, disagreed with im_b_rad as well. Alchemist noted that people prefer watching even a great caster struggle than a high-quality production without casters, which he posted on Twitter.
Though im_b_rad might have been attempting to underscore the contributions of production teams in esports broadcasts, or maybe the tweet was simply an impression-boosting tactic, however, his viewpoint attracted more disagreement than ever before.
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