Photo by: Blizzard
The iconic duo is leaving South Korea.
After being two of the most recognized faces in League of Legends and specifically for Korea’s LCK, Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles and Erik “DoA” Lonnquist are leaving the country that has been their home for so long. The duo is setting sail for their native United States, as they are said to be working with Blizzard as broadcasters and consultants for the Overwatch League.
MonteCristo and DoA officially said goodbye to League of Legends in January this year, after Mykles confirmed on Twitter that the duo will no longer cast the LCK. MonteCristo and Doa have had frictions with Riot Games since the two—together with Christopher “PapaSmithy” Smith—addressed the lower rates paid to League broadcasters compared to peers in other disciplines. In September 2016, it was further confirmed that the LCK duo will not attend the World Championship, a sequence of circumstances which eventually led to their abandonment of League of Legends in favor of Overwatch.
MonteCristo and Doa has since been casting APEX, the OGN-produced Overwatch premier tournament which caters to the South Korean scene. The second season of the league is slated to end today, April 8, and also looks to be the last one cast by the former League pair as they are set to move to the United States for Overwatch League.
“Obviously we will serve as broadcasters for the Overwatch League once it begins in Q3 of 2017, but we're also excited to serve as consultants to Blizzard as the broadcast and shoulder content takes shape,” said Mykles to ESPN. “One of the most compelling aspects of moving back to the States is the opportunity to help build a show from the ground up that resonates with fans as an authentic esports product rather than overreaching into outmoded models from traditional sports.”
The Overwatch League itself is said to begin in Q3 2017, with a lot of questions regarding it still unanswered, including how the city-based format will work and who will be the companies buying the lavishly prized up to “$10-15M for Los Angeles”.
