The death of the Brazilian commentary scene and salaries at TI 2022 — highlights from the Dota Resenha podcast with Kaxanga

Caster Pablo “Kaxanga” Oliveira Franco Menin assessed the current state of the Brazilian commentary scene, discussed the salaries of The International 2022 broadcast studio staff, and shared his thoughts on the Beyond the Summit studio. Highlights from the Dota Resenha podcast with Kaxanga — in our article.

Kaxanga believes that the commentary scene in his country no longer exists in its full form, and this applies not only to Dota 2 but to all games. According to Pablo, foreign casters are better organized, and English-speaking casters, through their collective actions, resemble unions, which allows them to secure better terms in the market. As for community casts, he cautions those interested against the idea, pointing out the difficulties with monetization.

The commentator called additional content very important for retaining viewers—one cannot limit oneself to just the cast. He cited sports broadcasts as an example and urged moving in that direction, not the opposite, and constantly rethinking the format. As a positive example, Pablo pointed to joint League of Legends streams, where various members of the community come together in a less formal setting.

Kaxanga shared that the lighting crew invited to Singapore for The International 2022 earned a lot of money—about $15,000—considering that the organizers covered all expenses, including flights, accommodation, and meals. At the same time, Beyond the Summit introduced an agency commission for contract workers, but the following year, Valve significantly reduced payments. “It’s a shame it all ended so quickly,” Kaxanga lamented.

The commentator pointed out that a person’s reputation is on the line when they advertise something. “And it’s taken me many years of work creating honest content for the community so that people would trust me. And I’m essentially selling that reputation when I agree to do an ad,” Pablu described the situation.

Kaxanga said that it was sad for him to watch the studio before it closed. At a certain point, BTS reached its peak, but after that, it only lost ground, the commentator believes. This decline, according to the caster, was due to poor decisions and the wrong approach to organizing broadcasts and handling feedback.

Throughout his career, Pablo has covered many Valve events, including The International, Majors, and tournaments within the Dota Pro Circuit. Currently, the most recent major tournaments Kaxanga has worked on are DreamLeague Season 23, PGL Wallachia Season 1, and Games of the Future 2024.

Photo: Pablo “Kaxanga” Oliveira Francu Menin.