xQc Expresses the Importance of Storytelling in Esports Commentary
Popular variety streamer and former Overwatch League player xQc recently shared his thoughts on esports broadcasters during a live stream.
According to xQc, the most captivating aspect of commentary is the story behind a player’s journey and how they ended up in their current position, rather than just the flashy highlights of a match.
xQc emphasized, “Storytelling is where the fight began. What tools did the team have to get there? How did they fight? How did they overcome adversity? How did they come back from such a loss?” He continued, “All these things—they matter, like in Fortnite, what gun did you start with? Which chests did he open and did you get lucky? Did you get unlucky? Did you have to grind for mats? Did you have a bad spawn? Did you have a good spawn? Did you almost die? Did you get respawned by your teammate? There’s a lot of good things and these things matter more than the plays themselves.”
The streamer went on to explain that this is why he finds watching a single player’s point of view more enjoyable than following a tournament broadcast in battle royale esports. In games like Fortnite, PUBG, and Warzone, the storytelling aspect often gets overlooked as commentators switch between different players throughout an event.
As xQc pointed out, this approach sometimes means that viewers miss out on the journey of how a player reached a certain point in a match, which can detract from the overall story. However, despite these challenges in broadcasting, battle royale esports continue to attract a substantial fan base.