On May 14, history was made in Overwatch eSports: For the first time, an all-female commentary team followed the action live. Rosemary ‘Nekkra’ Kelley was also part of the team. However, she only became aware of this after the fact:

“Honestly, I didn’t even know we made history with the games until people pointed it out to us after the fact. It was a great honor.”

The 27-year-old caster has had a long career and is now a well-known figure in various eSports disciplines. kicker eSport has already talked to her about her career and her love for the profession in an interview. Currently, she can often be seen in the Overwatch League (OWL), which was launched at the beginning of May

Upheaval in Overwatch eSports

In the OWL is played in the new Overwatch 2. Professionals will have to get used to this first. Although the game is very similar to its predecessor at first glance, there are still some essential changes. The biggest of these is the reduction of teams from six players before to five per team now.

 

Overwatch is a very fast-paced game, so it can be difficult to find the right balance.

Rosemary ‘Nekkra’ Kelley about the Overwatch eSport.

 

In her work, Kelley has already been able to feel an impact on gameplay: “Changing the team size from six to five players is already noticeable in the way the game is played. Teams can be taken out faster, so resets happen faster. The pace of play has increased noticeably.” Overwatch 1 was already one of the more hectic titles in eSports.

The faster pace makes commentating a bit more challenging again, as Kelley explains, “Overwatch is a very fast-paced game, so casting between partners has to be much smoother. Action can also erupt when you least expect it, so it can be difficult at first to find the right balance between ‘play-by-play casting’ and other commentary between partners.”

 

The perspective of professional players can help shape the game.

Rosemary ‘Nekkra’ Kelley about the Overwatch 2 beta.

 

Aside from the big basic change, Overwatch 2 also has new maps and modes that will be used in competitive play. Among them is the so-called Push mode. According to Kelley, in the first few weeks, “teams were still figuring out how to approach this game mode.”

A game in constant flux

Acclimatization is also still needed for the playable characters, most of which are old familiar. For Overwatch 2, however, every hero was changed in detail. This also has consequences for the professional game: “The complete overhaul of the heroes as well as the adjustments to the heroes as a whole definitely have an impact on the meta.”

Currently, the so-called “Dive” meta is popular again. In this, dynamic heroes are played, the team collectively “throws” itself quickly from one opponent to the next. Due to the faster dynamics, such strategies are coming out again. Previously popular heroes such as Reinhardt or Ana are chosen less often in Overwatch 2

eSports league in the beta

The other peculiarity about the current – Season of the Overwatch League is the fact that the game is still in beta. This is an unusual situation, but exciting for Kelley:

“I find that competitive gaming during beta provides a unique opportunity. The perspective of professional players can help shape the game for both casual players and professionals.”

And she clarifies, also in light of the players penalized for exploiting, whose match she even cast: “My job is not to comment on the rules, but on the course of the game as it happens.”

Rosemary ‘Nekkra’ Kelley as a commentator in the Overwatch League.
Activision Blizzard

But some teams seem to handle the fluctuating situation better than others. The current top favorite in the West Division is San Francisco Shock, who have won all six games so far

For Kelley, Atlanta Reign is also worth a look. Likewise, “London Spitfire was a nice surprise.” The casting director stresses, however, that there is still room for adjustment: “It’s early in the – Season , there’s still a lot of room for change.”