The LEC has announced that popular Twitch streamer Simon “Thebausffs” Hofverberg will appear on the broadcast’s analyst desk for week 6.
Thebausffs will also step in as a caster for two games to be played on Friday. The LEC announced the news in a tweet that also confirmed the return of Jake “Hiprain” Matthews and Adrian “Jamada” Wharlton-Thorne as guest casters for Saturday’s stream.
Thebausffs, who currently boasts more than 345,000 Twitch followers, rose to prominence as a cheerful Sion main known for his ability to consistently reach Challenger while utilizing an unorthodox AD and lethality build. Aside from his streaming career, the Swede also spent time as G2 Esports’ substitute in their famous 2019 trophy-laden season, an experience that has left him claiming an MSI and two LEC medals.Â
While not joining the LEC broadcast desk with previous on-air experience, his mixture of fun and relaxed vibes coupled with high-level game knowledge meant that his announcement rapidly garnered excitement amongst fans.
Despite the positive buzz ahead of Thebausffs’ LEC appearance, some were quick to question whether somebody with no prior casting experience deserved to make their debut at such a high level.
Astralis’ Hampus Mikael “promisq” Abrahamsson took to Twitter to call it a “slap in the face” to upcoming casters/analysts, while Fnatic’s Elias “Upset” Lipp piled on with a since-deleted tweet referencing the streamer’s frequent bad solo queue scores, often caused by both his unusual in-game builds and his carefree approach to the game.
As a result of the players’ tweets, other LEC talent have given their own takes on the situation and backed the decision to bring Thebausffs on. Most pointed out that broadcasts across regions will frequently feature guests analysts, mostly professional players, with Tyler1’s LCS analyst desk appearance highlighted by Pentanet.GG’s jungle Pabu.
Just a bit of explanation here and also @Quickshot can always give more info but, we coach and prep our guests THOROUGHLY and make sure to play to their strengths AND make sure it works in our content. Bauffs is jumping on as a guest in the tricast for 2 games and we will see! https://t.co/nvxh7N6beS
— Eefje Depoortere (@sjokz) July 15, 2021
Long-time LEC host Eefje “sjokz” Depoortere was quick to try and quell any fears of ill-feeling amongst talent, adding that the streamer’s casting opportunity was going to be part of a split broadcast alongside Daniel “Drakos” Drakos and Marc Robert “Caedrel” Lamont. This meant that if Thebausffs not been invited, the matches would’ve been cast by the duo as normal.
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