NBA Jam announcer pack for Dota 2 up for vote on Steam Workshop

William Davis Published 12/05/2022

If fans want it badly enough, Dota 2 players could soon have their games commentated by the legendary announcer from NBA Jam.

A new Dota 2 announcer pack based on NBA Jam is now up for voting on the Steam Workshop. The fully-voiced sound pack is a joint effort between Jake “SirActionSlacks” Kanner and Shannon “SUNSfan” Scotten of DotaCinema. The pair announced the project on May 11 just before the start of the Stockholm DPC Major. If it goes live, owners and their teammates will take a trip back through gaming history.

The announcer pack is full of references to the classic retro basketball game. Based on the trailer, it seems that the pack has lines for every hero introduction, game mode, and draft phase. As expected of a SirActionsSlacks project, almost every line is a joke of some sort. There’s also a lot more swearing compared to the average Dota 2 announcer pack.

“Silencer! Bringing the noise like we’re in the library!”

“Bane! You think that’s a nightmare? You should have seen my ex-wife. Hey-o!”

The voice actor for the pack is Tim Kitzrow, the announcer from the original NBA Jam. Kitzrow provided tons of voice lines for the pack, including some very specific lines for team fights and item purchases. In addition to recreating the classic NBA Jam announcer, Kitzrow’s lines are frequently references to the classic arcade basketball game. This is actually the second announcer pack that Kitzrow has recorded for Dota 2. A 2018 Dota Jam announcer pack was recorded but never added to the official game.

How to vote for the NBA Jam announcer pack on Steam Workshop

Now that the NBA Jam pack is on Steam Workshop, it’s up to fans to get it into the game. Dota 2 players can vote for or against its inclusion on its Steam Workshop page. If it gets enough votes, Valve can eventually choose to make it a real item via the in-game cash shop.

The only potential problem is copyright. Aside from literally being called the NBA Jam announcer pack, many of the lines and expressions are ripped straight from that game. The current copyright holders behind the NBA Jam brand may not like Valve making money off the brand through the popular MOBA.

Then again, Dota 2 already has some references to NBA Jam. Earthshaker’s arcana Planetfall has NBA Jam references, including a mighty “Boom shakalaka!” for Echo Slam. His classic “Chaos Dunk!” line is also a reference to basketball parody RPG Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden.

Read Also

Esports Betting

HEROIC exits EWC Club Partner Program after Dota 2 departure, leaves CS2 as sole title Wasif Ahmed HEROIC has left the Esports Foundation’s Club Partner Program for the Esports World Cup 2026 after the organization announced earlier this month that it was exiting Dota 2 due to the game being ‘unsustainable in the long term’. This left CS2 as its sole operational title. Both HEROIC and the Esports Foundation (EF) announced the exit in separate statements. The EF said that the recent internal changes meant the organization ...

Esports Betting

Heroic Exits Dota 2, and It’s Bad News for the Scene Owen Harsono Norwegian esports organization Heroic has officially called it quits in Dota 2, dropping its roster after two years in the scene. Despite finding relative success, the organization cited financial constraints as the primarily reason for their departure. If a budget-savvy team like Heroic couldn’t make it work, the Dota 2 scene is in big trouble. On May 4, Heroic suddenly announced they’d be pulling the plug on their Dota 2 ...

League of Legends

Playing League of Legends can improve brain function, study finds Khizar Mundia If you have ever found yourself having to defend the countless you spend gaming online then you may now have a ready-made excuse — researchers have just revealed that video games can improve brain function. A team from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China conducted a study comparing League of Legends with Legends of the Three Kingdoms. The study found both improved brain function, with League of ...

Dota 2

Is Dota 2 dying in 2026? Here’s what the numbers really say Ben Boland The question “Is Dota 2 dead?” has been asked by many people over the last couple of years. Since the game’s player base fluctuates and other MOBAs rise in popularity, it’s understandable that some people feel like Dota 2 is dying and its best days are behind it. However, is this really the case? Let’s find out. Once you start looking for some of the best Dota 2 teams or ...

Dota 2

Every Dota 2 International Champion in History: The Complete Winners List Ben Boland If you know a thing or two about esports, “The International” should ring a bell. TI is Dota 2’s yearly tournament and is one of the most prestigious tournament series in all of esports. It’s best known for its million-dollar prize pools, and every edition tells a different story. Below, we list all the winners of Dota 2’s The International. Every year, Valve hosts an iteration of The International, with ...

Kick

ESL FACEIT Group announces Kick partnership, here’s what we know Khizar Mundia ESL FACEIT Group and Kick have signed a partnership that will allow the platform to distribute and broadcast select official CS2 and Dota 2 tournaments. Esports broadcasting rights are an important element for major streaming platforms, as popular tournaments draw millions of viewers. The esports broadcasting network is substantially fragmented as no one platform holds exclusive rights for major tournaments. Kick has been trying to get into the esports scene ...

Dota 2

Best Dota 2 Players in 2026 Owen Harsono In 2026, pro Dota 2 players are on another level, with a bunch of them even passing 17,000 MMR. However, not all of them can prove themselves on the big stage. Below we have ranked the top 10 best Dota 2 players in 2026 who have championship qualities. We have ranked the top 10 Dota 2 players in the world right now. We primarily considered individual skill and overall contribution ...