Get To Know Up-And-Coming Dota 2 Caster Seve “Rage” Bisogni
Game casting is an art form that takes hours of honing to master. Bringing excitement and pin-point analysis in matches featuring your favorite Dota 2 teams is no walk in the park. Seve “Rage” Bisogni is a Canadian caster from Toronto, Canada. Rage, 24, is a Software Engineering graduate from the University of Toronto but has recently decided to devote more time to his love for the game of Dota 2.
Rage started casting part-time late in 2014 mostly with Hefla TV, an online community that aims to promote new talent in the world of casting, and Game Show, a Russian organization that features an English stream as well as a channel on local television that features eSports 24/7.
Why did you go with the IGN “Rage”?
I started playing Dota when I was around 13. I started out as MoreRagePlsImBad. But looking back I wish I would have given my name more thought and thought of something better. It was just literally my gametag back then. It was the most anti-name flame ever. I’m just putting it out there. I’m bad. If I play bad, I’ll just be look at my name buddy. Shortened it to MoreRagePlease then eventually I made it into MRPDota. Then people started calling me Rage. And that’s that. When I play pub, I tilt. But I have recently started to adapt Artour “Arteezy” Babaev’s PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) mantra.
You recently had the honor of working some of the top casters in the industry. Tell us about that.
I worked with Chan “WinteR” Litt Binn and David “GoDz” Parker in the Game Show Global eSports Cup in Moscow late last year. David “Lumi” Zhang was also there. I also got to cast with Jake “SirActionSlacks” Kanner at the Dota 2 Canada Cup Season 4. Whenever they need a mercenary, a co-caster I try my best to put myself out there. Sometimes you have to be obnoxious but because they already know who I am I feel more comfortable spreading my name around and taking what I can get.
Rage most recently got to work at the H-Cup, a Chinese Dota 2 tournament organized by ImbaTV featuring the likes of Vici Gaming Reborn and EHOME, with co-caster Mike Lorus.
Do you prefer broadcasting Dota 2? Have you explored other titles?
Definitely, more on Dota 2. I’ve been given opportunities by GosuGamers to work on Blizzard’s Heroes of the Storm (HotS). Knowing the huge company that is Blizzard being able to throw money into a game because you know they want it to work. People wouldn’t believe it but casting in HotS is definitely more lucrative. Blizzard will pay twice, maybe even thrice what casting in Dota 2 would pay out. You have the most epic personalities in the gaming world in Furion, in Illidan duking it out. But they can’t even nuke down a creep wave? What the hell. I was just disappointed when I tried. Dota 2 is my one true game.
What do you think about the general Dota 2 scene?
I think the scene is just great overall. There is just this blatant sense of camaraderie between the personalities and the players. I can’t talk about the other scenes in eSports because I don’t really know much about them but in Dota 2 you can feel that sense of mutual respect among everybody. Of course, there’s going to be a bit of beef here and there but that is natural. Teams scrim with each other often and there is a transfer of knowledge among players. I think that’s why you see the shuffles happen because there is always constant communication among players. While in regular sports most transfer talks are driven by agents and managers.
What are your thoughts about the next Major being in Manila?
We know the Philippines is a Dota 2 crazy country so without a doubt the hype revolving around it will surpass what we’ve seen in the past Majors. Filipinos know how to enjoy Dota 2 that’s for sure. It is definitely part of my bucket list to cast in front of a Filipino crowd. I’m sure a lot of the big talent is looking forward to it as well.
How is the life of a professional Dota 2 caster?
It gets crazy. For one thing, flame is a part of every cast. Specially on Reddit and Twitch. If you don’t have the mental fortitude to block out the flame then just don’t get into it at all. I want to always improve as a caster so I genuinely prefer constructive criticism over just ‘flame’.
It is extremely fulfilling casting high-level Dota. Getting into the next level plays, the mechanics abuse, the thought process of the players. If you are looking at the draft screen and you try and figure out what’s gonna happen next. It’s a good feeling. To get into the minds of these pros. How they strive to make it work as a team.
You can have so much talented players but cannot if they work as a unit it means nothing. The first or second iteration of Secret with Gustav “s4” Magnusson. Teams of all-star players that fail constantly. Hell, Chai Yee “Mushi” Fung, Xu “Burning” Zhilei and Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang were on a team, together and they couldn’t even win TI together. Three of the best players in the world regarded by everyone.
Then you have the famous captains like Clement “Puppey” Ivanov and Peter “ppd” Dager who can make any group of players just shine. Playing to the draft and the playstyle it dictates. It’s just a wonderful experience.
The hours can be crappy at times. When I’m casting some Chinese Dota for the H-Cup for Beyond the Summit from 1am to 9am in the morning is exactly not the hours you want to be casting. In this industry everyone starts from their basements and you have to work hard to be noticed. Never give up and don’t get discouraged.
Who do you look up to as a caster?
Of course you got those guys who were basically the grandfathers of Dota 2. The David “LD” Gormans, the Toby “Tobiwan” Dawsons, the GoDz who have been around since Dota was a fledgling. Everyone is good influence, everyone is accommodating. It isn’t as cutthroat as lot of people would imagine in the growing industry.
Definitely LD. I was a big fan of the LD-Lumi dual cast back in the day despite Lumi’s struggles (Rage jokingly quips) in English. I love both of them. Consummate professionals who party great. But I can still take a bit from everyone really.
Hanging With The Best: Dota 2 personalities Lumi (left) and WinteR (right) flank Rage (center).
There are so many facets in casting. The relatability, the hype, analysis, entertainment factor. Looking at tobiwan’s hype casting is amazing. LD’s flow and diction during his casts are top-notch. Owen “ODPixel” Davies has got excellent entertainment value. Ben “Merlini” Wu’s analysis. Take a little bit from all of these parts to the whole will make you a better caster.
Who is your favorite player?
Hands down it has to be Jacky “EternalEnvy” Mao. I’ve been following him since Kaipi after NoTidehunter where he was teammates with Arteezy. I became a fan of him from there and he is just fun to watch. People love him for who he is. Sometimes he’s a moron, sometimes he’s a genius but it’s still part of his charm. It’s true genuine Envy. No facade. You get the true essence of Jacky Mao and I appreciate his honesty as a person.
I’m also a fan of Arteezy even if he plays the worst possible music in his stream. Gotta love my Canadians right? When Rasmus “Misery” Filipsen tweeted that he was no longer on Secret, I was hoping that Arteezy and Envy were reuniting and it happened. I feel both of them are very greedy players and there won’t be enough farm on the map for both of them. But I’m still happy they are reuniting. EE might take the backseat and give Arteezy more farm but we will have to wait and see till their first LAN. Definitely a Team Secret fan.
Tips for people who want to get into casting.
Just keep practicing. Everyone gets better with practice. Be with people who know what they are talking about. Take a couple of hints. A lot of criticism so be prepared to take it and sift the important points. The real tricky part is camera work. It’s so easy missing a clash. Always keep your eye on the minimap, much like playing the game. Even when you are talking about something, don’t get too distracted. If you don’t know something, NEVER guess. The lurkers will flame you for all eternity. It’s basically know your camera and say things that are relevant. If there’s a lull look at how the game has been going so far. What are the next big items. Always try to improve and ask the people around you what they think. What you do great and what needs improvement.
Any shout outs to wrap it up?
To the fans: Hope you enjoy each and every cast. I appreciate every flame and every comment, honestly. The support in most of my endeavors has been pretty overwhelming – even with the free pub casts. It’s very humbling to have anyone say they enjoy me simply doing something I’m already so passionate about.
Follow Rage on Twitter: @mrpdota.
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