TL;DR
- Sjokz’s Riot Games hosting contract concluded, creating freelance availability
- COVID-19 disrupted planned CSGO events, prompting broader esports career exploration
- Extensive five-year Riot experience complemented by previous CSGO tournament hosting
- Industry leaders including Team Liquid COO expressed immediate interest in collaboration
- Maintains LEC freelance hosting while pursuing diversified esports projects
Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere, renowned LEC host, has reached the conclusion of her contractual agreement with Riot Games.
The prominent esports personality confirmed via social media that her hosting arrangement with Riot Games has officially concluded for the current competitive season. Pandemic-related travel complications significantly impacted her scheduled Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event commitments throughout the year.
With both primary professional engagements experiencing uncertainty, Sjokz articulated her strategic pivot toward securing additional CSGO tournament hosting positions or embracing varied freelance initiatives across the gaming landscape.
My contract with Riot is up for the year, and unfortunately most of my CS:GO work for the year fell through due to Covid and planning. I would love to still work on CS events going forward, as well as other projects in any scene as freelancer.
[email protected] to get in touch!
— Eefje Depoortere (@sjokz) November 3, 2020
Sjokz Expands Beyond League of Legends: CSGO Hosting and Freelance Esports Career Moves
Sjokz brings substantial hosting expertise and live event management capabilities cultivated through extensive esports industry involvement. Her professional journey includes over five years collaborating with Riot Games, primarily focusing on European competitive circuits. In 2018, she strategically transitioned to freelance status to access opportunities beyond the League of Legends ecosystem. During this independent phase, she successfully hosted the ESL Proximus CSGO tournament in Belgium. Additionally, Sjokz demonstrated her versatility by leading multiple BLAST Pro Series competitions across international venues including São Paulo and Los Angeles.
Her career trajectory remains fluid as she continues diversifying beyond LoL, though her proven track record has already generated significant industry interest in potential collaborations.
Team Liquid’s Chief Operating Officer Mike Milanov promptly engaged with her announcement, indicating potential professional discussions.
kk
— Mike Milanov (@ThixNation) November 3, 2020
Sjokz humorously suggested potentially exiting esports entirely to pursue competitive chess after viewing Netflix’s “Queen’s Gambit” series. This lighthearted remark triggered passionate responses from esports enthusiasts urging her to remain within the community. She clarified that freelance LEC hosting responsibilities will continue while actively seeking supplementary project engagements across gaming disciplines.
Many community members anticipate Sjokz assuming increased CSGO tournament hosting roles, though she realistically noted that such opportunities may require considerable development time given current industry conditions. For esports professionals considering similar career transitions, understanding contract negotiation strategies and building diverse skill sets becomes crucial. Our Class Guide explores similar diversification principles applicable across gaming genres.
The evolving esports landscape presents both challenges and opportunities for talent diversification. Successful broadcast professionals must balance specialization with adaptability, much like the strategic approaches discussed in our Complete Guide to professional gaming development.
Action Checklist
- Evaluate current contract status and non-compete clauses before pursuing new opportunities
- Build diverse hosting portfolio across multiple game titles and tournament formats
- Establish professional communication channels for industry connections and opportunity outreach
- Develop contingency plans for pandemic-related event cancellations or postponements
- Balance specialized expertise with broad industry adaptability for career longevity
No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Sjokz looks for CSGO work, contract with Riot “up for the year” Sjokz seeks CSGO hosting opportunities as Riot contract ends, explores freelance esports career expansion