Shout-out to our OWL stylist who has been surprising me with such a big variety of interesting, fun, quirky and unique outfits which, frankly, I would have never looked at, tried on or even picked up myself. Also…going to work in my pj and being dressed up is rather nice tbh…
Overwatch League kicks off Wednesday night, assembling the best players the globe has to offer. Blizzard has spared no expense for the inaugural season, including gathering some of the biggest and most influential casters in Esports. Representing women on the talent panel is Soe Gschwind, one of the most accomplished casters in the industry.
Soe brings credibility to a new Esports scene. She has been working in this field for over a decade, and can bring valuable insight to the broadcast. Here’s a little background on Soe:
1. She Started as a Shoutcaster for Bloody Roar
Soe’s career in gaming goes all the way back to Bloody Roar, a fighting game that released it’s final version in 2003. Her first official gig in the scene wasn’t until 2007, where she worked as an Esports convention host in Germany.
Soe’s major breaks didn’t come until her passion for Blizzard games took over. She became a fixture at events like BlizzCon and The StarCraft II World Championship Series, working her first Blizzcon as an official host in 2011.
From her Blizzard bio:
Soe Gschwind is a Swiss commentator and host. Over the past 10 years, she has casted and hosted global events such as BlizzCon, WCS, gamescom, WCG, The International, and E3. After hosting a daily esports show on German television in 2016, she moved to Versailles, France, to work as an Associate Esports Manager and on-screen talent for Blizzard Entertainment.
2. Soe is Swiss, & Worked in Europe Before Coming to LA
Soe got her start in Germany, but has bounced around her entire career. One of the most unique parts of Soe’s resume is the sheer number of games she covers, which requires an extraorfinaty amount of game knowledge.
According to Liquipedia, here is the full lis of games Soe has covered in her career:
Aion
Asphalt 4
Assassins Creed 3 Multiplayer
Assassins Creed 4 Multiplayer
Bloodline Champions
Bloody Roar
Dead or Alive 2, 3 & 5
Diablo II
Diablo III
Dota 2
Dragons Prophet
Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter
FarCry III
Fifa
Final Fantasy Online: A Realm Reborn
Guild Wars
Guitar Hero 3 & 5
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
League of Legends
Pro Evolution Soccer
ProjectGotham Racing 3 & 4
Quake Live
Red Stone
ShootMania
StarCraft II
The Crew
Tekken 4 & 5
Tera
TrackMania 2: Canyon
TrackMania Nations
TrackMania United
Virtua Fighter 4 & 5
Warcraft III
World of Warcraft
For reference, some casters maybe cover two games on this list. In recent years, Soe has covered major events like Gamescom, MLG Finals New Orleans, and worked the X-Games in Austin when CSGO and Dota2 were added as events.
3. She Hosted an Esports Show on German Television
If you’re in America and just learning about Soe, consider yourself lightyears behind your German friends. Soe has been a fixture in Germany, and is involved with gaming-focused marketing agency Freaks 4U Gaming. Soe was part of a four-person team that hosted GameSports in 2015, an Esports-focused show that aired on cable in Germany.
A cable network airing an Esports talk show that runs Monday-Friday is nearly unthinkable in the US. But Soe was able to make it happen, and provided expert insight on Dota2, Starcraft2 and World of Warcraft when called upon.
4. She is an Artist and Sculptor
In her spare time, Soe enjoys making crafting and will sometimes post her work on her YouTube channel. That time has been increasingly sparse lately as she prepares for Overwatch League, but her YouTube channel is filled with crafts dedicated to some of her favorite characters in gaming.
Most of the artistic stuff is from several years ago, as Soe has shifted more towards a full-time career in Esports. But there are a few gems for those who browse her channel, including this awesome Dark Templar speed drawing.
5. She Has a Patreon Where She Will Make You Art
If you like her art so much you want some of your own, Soe will make you art if you subscribe to her Patreon. The top tier subscriptions are sold out, but every patron gets hand-drawn doodles from Soe every month for supporting.
On her Patreon page, Soe explains what she does with the subscriptions:
“With this goal I am looking to continue creating all kinds of different creative content for you. Let’s work together and create awesome digital and traditional paintings, monthly doodles, mash-ups, and sculptures. Icing on the cake? How about exclusive behind-the-scenes videos and vlogs from some of your favorite eSports events from all over the world!”
Over 60 people currently contribute to her Patreon.