read Career

IMPACT 0490: ESPORTS COMMENTATOR DETERMINED TO SEE GAMING SCENE IN SINGAPORE GROW

Eugene Eu, 27, is a local esports commentator out of only a handful available in Singapore. He recently marked his 10th year being a commentator. After obtaining various skill sets over the years, he sets out to teach and guide aspiring esports commentators, fuelled by his childhood desire to be a teacher. He hopes to help develop the esports industry into an entertainment force to be reckoned with. Today he shares more about his journey in this unconventional career choice!

Tell us more about what you do!

As a commentator, we push our voices and reactions to the limits to bring joy, entertainment, and information by narrating the game footage. We’re mostly seen exclusively at events and tournaments to ensure a great viewing experience for our audiences.

I figured that with the experience I had, it made sense to pass down these skills to the aspiring commentators by giving them lectures and practical lessons. I’m involved in the esports industry through a mentorship programme with SCAPE, and have been signing interested individuals under Sin Esports for further training and experience.

What inspired you to do this?

It took a long time for me to reach where I am today, and although the path of improvement and success is still a far stretch, I’m generally happy with the progress.

There weren’t any mentors, coaching, or materials to learn more about esports commentary when I first started, and there was a need for such resources available to encourage the adoption of such a niche art. Today, I’ve mentored a total of 15 mentees to kick-start their journey in their pursuit to be an esports commentator.

SCAPE and Sin Esports have had a big involvement in providing me a medium to teach. Soon, I will also be a mentor for an incubator programme by SCOGA (Singapore’s Cybersports & Online Gaming Association).

Have you faced any challenges so far? And how did you overcome them?

There were plenty of challenges as a mentor: I had no idea where and how to start due to an overload of information I wanted to share. At the same time, I had plenty of knowledge and skills to begin with, so mentoring came naturally for me. My course materials improved every year based on the feedback I received from my mentees, and as such, my third batch (which is ongoing training now) have access to the most intensive and informational lecture I’ve ever produced.

The need to be receptive and adaptive is also very crucial for me, as different individuals require different ways to learn and understand certain techniques, as well as how to soul-search for their persona and their unique selling point. I still have a lot more to learn so I can properly guide my mentees from start to end.

If you could share one piece of advice with your fellow youth, what would it be?

Be humble and don’t be afraid to ask. Embarrassment is but a fleeting moment—there’s no shame in self-improvement.

What are your hopes or plans for the future? What do you want to see or perhaps do?

I have a very simple goal in life, and it is to find sustainability for the world of esports. I enjoy what I’m doing now, teaching and commentating, and watching the industry grow is all I want. There’s an entire ecosystem available for anyone of different skills and roles. For that to happen, we need the help of the fellow viewers and audience. I’d love to see more support for local teams, tournaments, and livestreams, to help make esports in Singapore a culture itself.