Where's Jatt? NA's favorite caster has uncertain future
Joshua “Jatt” Leesman has long been a staple of North American League of Legends’ esports scene. From playing professionally to casting, to working on the balance team, to coaching Team Liquid, Jatt’s done it all.
After his departure from Team Liquid in the middle of the 2021 LCS summer split, North American League of Legends’ resident renaissance man’s future has been kept mysterious. But fans keep asking, where’s Jatt?
Jatt’s early days in League of Legends
Jatt began his time in League of Legends as a professional player. He played through 2011 and 2012 as a member of Dignitas.
In one of the earliest videos of his time in the new esport, Jatt showed a well-spoken and communicative nature that would be an omen of his career to come. Fans’ comments years later note just how well-suited Jatt was for commentary and broadcast work.
Jatt was one of the first broadcasters to join the LCS during its debut years, and would quickly become a fan favorite. A lifelong love for sports coupled with his natural enthusiasm meant Jatt brought a sense of professionalism to the broadcast that the new esport hadn’t yet acquired en masse.
After many years on the broadcast, Jatt decided to step away in 2019 to pursue another lifelong dream of his, game design. Jatt moved over to working with the balance team, already a full-time employee at Riot Games, and tried his hand at balancing the game he’d been commentating for years.
Later that same year, Jatt announced his return to broadcast. He’d enjoyed his time designing the game, but his heart lay with esports. During his return, Jatt featured on a variety of esports content, from The Dive to his own show, The Joshua Leesman Experience, or JLXP.
The next year, however, Jatt would announce his departure from the broadcast, formally becoming the head coach for a struggling Team Liquid.
Where’s Jatt headed after leaving Team Liquid?
Jatt’s time on Team Liquid wasn’t necessarily smooth, with the team failing to take home a trophy or rekindle the era of dominance from when the LCS was franchised. At the same time, Team Liquid managed to stay relatively competitive with the top teams, though never pulling itself above the competition by much.
In 2021, Team Liquid underwent a series of controversial roster changes that would end with Jatt leaving Team Liquid. After benching Barney “Alphari” Morris for Academy substitute Thomas “Jenkins” Tran, rumors of internal disputes seemed to have veracity, with Jatt departing before the split had even finished.
Jatt hasn’t yet announced exactly what the future holds for him. It’s practically assured we’ll see Jatt return to the esports scene in some capacity. But whether that’s broadcast, background, or otherwise, fans are waiting with bated breath.
Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.
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