DJ Khaled struggled to hype up the crowd at the Overwatch League Grand Finals in Brooklyn.
Blizzard hired the high-profile musical artist to entertain the crowd for the last day of the finals. Fan reactions leading up to the performance were mixed.
The producer made his way onto the stage to a loud reaction. He played some of his most popular songs, but his multiple attempts to cut the music so the arena could sing the lyrics were met with silence and sometimes laughter.
The highlight for many at the event was Khaled’s cry of “Overwatch me!” and then a short-lived dance in which he awkwardly shuffled his feet around the stage. Most fans surmised that the DJ didn’t know what event he was attending, considering the “Overwatch me” comment was the only time he ever acknowledged the game.
Throughout the short lifespan of esports, tournament organizers have had similar results.
In 2006, 30 Seconds to Mars performed “A Beautiful Lie” at the Word Series of Video Games to fill time between matches for Counter-Strike and Quake 4. Few people in the crowd were reactive to lead singer Jared Leto, and the rest just stood there while they waited for the games.
DreamHack Winter’s Starcraft II event with Darude in 2013 was awkward because after Darude pushed the button to start his hit song “Sandstorm” he awkwardly walked around the arena for six minutes.
Another DJ that flopped at an event was Deadmou5, who played at The International. The DJ cut into Evil Geniuses’ championship ceremony, casting the light away from the players that the fans were there to see.
