Julian Carr · @Pastrytime
5th Oct 2022 from TwitLonger
Everything goes on
TL;DR I’m effectively retiring as a caster in North American League of Legends. My time as a play by play on the LCS and likely the global stage for League is at an end.
These are not words I ever thought I’d write. I’ve believed fully from the onset of my career in humble Sydney, Australia to now that I would cast well into the retirement home. When I first moved to the United States and started learning more about the country’s traditional sports history I marveled at the legacy of someone like Vin Scully who commentated as a legend in baseball longer than almost anyone else. I thought that’d be me, being dragged off the mic kicking and screaming just as excited and as passionate as I was when I started casting because ‘I just really liked esports and wanted to get more into it’.
That passion has led to a ten year career of casting almost entirely League of Legends that has brought me countless joy, challenges and friendships across the globe.
Gaming has brought me further than I or anyone else I knew would have thought possible. It shifted me from a young adult leaving university because I wasn’t enjoying it, to a lifelong love for esports and a career borne out of that love to go with it.
I’ve known for some time that this would be my last LCS split and final run at Worlds. As such, I gave everything I had to these final events. In some ways it’s a lot easier to go all out, risk your voice not holding up, commit fully to the moment when you know it’s your only one left. For those of you that enjoy my work in League of Legends, I hope you had just as much fun as I did living and breathing those last games. Nothing will ever match that feeling of getting one shot to cover a hype in-game moment in LoL as best as you possibly can and I’ll miss it dearly.
Ultimately I haven't always been as proud of my work as perhaps I should have, but I didn’t want to make that mistake this time. While I’m very pleased with what I’ve given to the sport in the last ten years, I’m extra happy with the work I’ve turned in this year knowing I was going to have to say goodbye to it before I was ready to.
Despite my own interest in esports (particularly League and LCS) history I’ve actually been pretty terrible at remembering my own games or moments that I’ve called over the years. Looking back, this year has been a wild nostalgia trip and I’m glad to be leaving my legacy on the game.
Esports has been my life for more than the time I’ve been shoutcasting and it will continue to be now as well. Half my life has been spent watching players compete in different video games and more than two thirds has been spent gaming in general. I never expected casting to be the avenue that got me into esports, I just knew I liked talking about the game so much I turned it into a career. I didn’t have a particularly strong background in debate or theatre, I didn’t really like public speaking that much as a kid to be honest and I certainly took more than half of my shoutcasting career learning how to speak slowly enough so people could actually understand what I was yelling about. To say I’m surprised I ended up where I am would be an understatement, but all it's ever been is following a passion as far as I could take it.
While the next steps of my career at Riot are currently in motion, nothing is certain. I’m very sad to be losing something that has defined me for a decade, but I’m dedicated to my lifelong dream of seeing esports grow bigger and brighter.
So that’s it, at least as far as one game in one region goes. I’m not sure I’ll keep casting, but I’m certainly open to it and I know wherever I land I’ll be just as passionate and hungry to push it to its limit. If you’ve ever wanted to work with me, now’s your best time to reach out while I plan the next stage of my career. You can DM me here on Twitter, or my business email is: pastrycorp@gmail.com (yes this is a legit email I swear).
Everything goes on, so thanks for everything. You’ll see me again even if things might look a little different. Esports is woven into the fabric of who I am and It’ll always be that way, even if I'll just be a fan a little more often now.
Don't try to make yourself remember, darling
Don't look for me, I'm just a story you've been told