Interview with Pavlos “ExWarrior” Georgiou, VCT EMEA Caster
Yoann: Hey, hello everyone! Today I’m with ExWarrior, he’s a caster for the VCT EMEA on Valorant! How are you, and how would you introduce yourself?
Pavlos: Hey, I'm good, thank you!
I'm Pavlos, I am half English, half Cypriot, and I shout at pixels for a living!
Yoann: Nice, I like that! When and how did you get into casting, and why in esports?
Pavlos: For me, there wasn't anything outside of esports when it came to casting.
I sort of found out about commentating through esports.
I got into it by being a fan of esports and being a fan of broadcasts and being like, Ooh, that's cool, I want to do it! So I gave it a go.
From 2016, I did one or two events a year in Cyprus locally, and I properly pursued it in 2020.
Yoann: Great! You are casting Valorant with Ender, how did you guys meet?
Pavlos: We didn't plan on being a duo together. It was actually Riot’s decision to put us together. I didn't know him beforehand. The moment I found out, I reached out and started talking, that's how we met. It’s been great!
Yoann: Do you have a specific preparation routine before matches?
Pavlos: I always have some way of preparing. First, I need to be prepared for the match itself, when it comes to notes and storylines, etc..
I'm always prepared coming into a tournament, no matter what teams are playing. I’m also preparing some lines that could potentially be used for a clutch or depending on which team wins. That's the preparation that comes in like a few days, maybe weeks or maybe a day before the broadcast, depending on the event and match.
What I do prior to the match itself is warm up my voice. I do tongue twisters, like “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”.
What I used to do with my former duo Kremer, is to sing songs before the game, like a round of karaoke!
Yoann: Oh, that’s great! How would you define the atmosphere behind the scenes in EMEA?
Pavlos: I think it's good. I was one of the newcomers this year, it took a while to get warmed up with everyone behind the scenes. Production is amazing, straight up vibes from all the people there.
Slowly but surely, the talent as well. We're turning into a team, we're getting to know how everybody likes the work and getting on the same wavelength. For some people, it's been easier than others, but I'd say it's pretty good!
Yoann: Which team do you see winning Champions in L.A.?
Pavlos: I want to see Fnatic winning!
I think a storyline of having a team being dominant at the start of Valorant esports history would be beneficial to the game.
I love Fnatic’s players and what they've achieved so far. But having a dynasty is what I'd like to see.
There was criticism over Valorant esports saying “Why is there always a different team winning? Oh, it's because it's a game based on luck with too many variables, and you can't account for them all. There are no consistent teams, which must mean the game as a competitive esport isn’t good”. And I didn't agree with that.
Fnatic, winning three major trophies in a row would definitively debunk that!
Yoann: Yeah, that would be interesting to see! Let’s now move on to the quick questions part. I will ask you 10 quick questions and you'll have to answer as fast as possible. Are you ready?
Pavlos: Yeah!
Yoann: Phantom or Vandal?
Pavlos: Phantom!
Yoann: What's your favorite map?
Pavlos: Haven.
Yoann: Nice. What's your favorite agent?
Pavlos: Breach!
Yoann: Who's your favorite team to cast?
Pavlos: Boom Esports!
Yoann: What's your favorite skin collection?
Pavlos: I'd go with Sentinels of Light.
Yoann: Can you name the seven teams that won an international event?
Pavlos: 100Thieves won first strike. Sentinels won Reykjavik. We had FPX winning. We've had Loud and Optic win. Fnatic, obviously.
Yoann: The last two are from EMEA!
Pavlos: I need to go back and find out who won last year. Oh, yeah, Acend of course. And Gambit!
Yoann: Yeah, exactly! What's the best play you ever commentated on?
Pavlos: That's very difficult! I’d say Shadow from Apeks, against Acend, on Fracture in Ascension Playoffs. He got a quadra kill clutch, it was pretty nuts!
Yoann: Nice! What kind of music do you listen to before a broadcast?
Pavlos: Ooh, funnily enough, I love listening to music before the broadcast because it hypes me up! It's usually like some EDM beat, but recently all the worlds League of Legends and Valorant songs, those songs really hype me up!
Yoann: What's your favorite moment or memory with the Valorant crew?
Pavlos: My favorite moment was when I was there for Ascension playoffs on the first day, I remember the atmosphere between all the players, electric. They were all very happy and hyped to be there, but also nervous! It was a moment when everyone knew how hard they fought to be where they were, but only one out of the four teams there could guarantee a VCT spot.
That's definitely my favorite moment. And I think the games those days were insane as well.
Yoann: Ascension was so good! Can you quote a voice line from Breach, your favorite agent?
Pavlos: “Let's gooo!”
Yoann: Great haha! Let's get back to the standard questions.
How often do you play Valorant in your free time?
Pavlos: I used to play more than I do right now.
It used to be every day, I'll play like twice a week now. Depending on how much time I’ve got. I like playing in 5 stacks and 10 mans, and sometimes with some other Valorant talents!
Yoann: That’s cool! What are your hobbies or passions aside from gaming?
Pavlos: I love music, I play the piano and guitar! I love the outdoors and people, so I won't stay home much.
Also, Doing anything with good friends is worth doing. Oh, and I love the beach!
Yoann: Nice! What would you change to Valorant if you were a developer?
Pavlos: What would I change? Make Chamber more of a sentinel. Don't boost his guns, give him some extra trip or something.
Yoann: And how do you feel about Deadlock?
Pavlos: I think Deadlock is a cool agent.
I know a lot of pros and coaches think she's very niche, which I would agree with.
I think in the scope of champions she could be very useful in catching teams off guard because Valorant is a very much protocol based game.
So it could very, very easily disrupt the protocols of a team. I don't expect them to play her early in the tournament, but at some point in the playoffs, and most likely from Paper Rex!
Yoann: Yeah, it would be so much fun!
Which Valorant team are you supporting right now?
Pavlos: All of the EMEA teams, I've also got Pacific close to my heart. I did APAC LCQ, and the OFF//SEASON India Invitational last year, and I’ve been in love with the region ever since. The Paper Rex boys, DRX as well. Just not the Americas, man!
Yoann: Haha okay! You obviously need great game knowledge to cast games. So would you like to become a coach one day?
Pavlos: I'm not going to say no, but it's not something I'm striving towards. If it happens, it would be cool. I did a bit of coaching this year, but on a very small basis, just as a try out to help out a local team.
But other than that, it's not something I'm going to strive towards this or the next couple of years, but maybe something that could happen in the future!
Yoann: What are your short and long-term ambitions on Valorant?
Pavlos: My short term ambition is to get to cast a global event. I'd love that. And hopefully, that can happen next year.
My long term ambition is to be one of the most prominent play by play casters and get to cast the best games there are!
Yoann: That would be nice for sure! What advice would you give to someone willing to become a commentator in esports?
Pavlos: I'd say be patient, becoming good takes a long time. And don't be afraid to do your own thing. You'll figure out the steps eventually.
Yoann: Great, thank you! Would you like to add anything?
Pavlos: I love Valorant! And I love everyone who's just read this!
Yoann: Thank you so much for your time. I wish you the best of luck in the future!
Pavlos: Thank you!
Pavlos’ socials
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/ExWarrior_
Website: pavlos.uk
