In case you missed it, Red Bull Double Don!! (a ONE PIECE CARD GAME tournament) was held in Milwaukee in mid-April. While we (DigitalChumps) weren’t able to attend, we got a great look at the ONE PIECE CARD GAME community. As a card game fan, it looked like a fun event!
The Red Bull Double Don!! also presented us an opportunity to connect with DoA (Erik Lonnquist) – yes, THE DoA! I was thrilled to chat with him and ask him some questions about his journey and reactions to the event. Check out our interview with DoA below!
Q: Hey DoA! It’s a pleasure to e-meet you and an even greater pleasure to sit down with you after seeing you cast some incredible eSports (League of Legends, Overwatch, along with Rainbow Six: Siege) matches over the past decade! Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. For our less-eSports-familiar readers, mind introducing yourself and sharing some of your accomplishments?
A: Sure! My name’s Erik “Doa” Lonnquist and I’ve had the pleasure of calling the action for many of esports’ top competitions for fifteen years. You might know me as the voice behind the “Faker! What was that?!” clip that I’m amazed still gets played during League of Legends Worlds every year. In recent years I added casting TCGs to my work with events like the Flesh and Blood World Championship, Star Wars Unlimited Galactic Championship, and of course, many many Bandai Card Game events! It’s been a wild ride and I’m just thankful to have been part of so many amazing moments in competitive gaming!
Q: As a shoutcaster familiar with the competitive side of games, there’s an ever-growing gap between the casual player and the aspiring pro player who’s immersed on the competitive side of things. How have you seen your role evolve to ensure that new and casual players are up-to-speed with big in-game moments?
A: A big challenge in sportscasting has always been to create commentary that simultaneously entertains both the casual and hardcore audiences. You don’t want to over-explain the basics, but you also want to avoid going too into the weeds with intricate rules interactions. In card games, the main focus should be giving fans a glimpse into the minds of great players. Having a discussion about why a player made a choice is going to be much more interesting than just stating to the viewers what they can already see happening. It should feel like the casters are friends sitting on the couch next to you. Friends watching sports discuss the why, not the what!
Q: We hear that you were one of the lucky few who attended the Red Bull Double Don!! inaugural event in Milwaukee! How was the vibe? What made this weekend special as an attendee? Compared to other TCG competitions, what made this event different?
A: The vibe at Red Bull Double Don!! was fantastic! We had many of the game’s best players in attendance and the tweaked rule-set with the Red Bull Double Don!! card made for some really interesting gameplay! The invitational nature of the event (all the players got there by winning an event at a local game store) made it feel like a real celebration of the dedication it takes to be a top One PIece card game player. I was born in Wisconsin so, on personal level, it was fun being back in my home state enjoying some of the best cheese the world has to offer!
Q: For those unfamiliar with the One Piece TCG, how does it play out from a viewer’s perspective? From your perspective, how did this TCG change up how you cast matches in real time? What in-game moment from this weekend stood out as the definitive play of the weekend?
A: From the viewer perspective, One Piece TCG lets the fans see intense 1v1 showdowns between all their favorite One Piece characters. You might get a rematch from the manga or a “what if” battle between Straw Hat crew members. It all depends on what decks the players decide to bring! Players play out characters on their side of the board and try to reduce their opponent’s life total to zero. As far as casting goes, OPTCG tests me with my greatest caster weakness – simple math. Counting DON!! on the fly is a skill I don’t think I’ll ever master! haha. One moment that stood out this weekend was a Red/Green Monkey.D.Luffy mirror match we got to see between James Crews and Kevin Zhou. James played great all weekend, but Kevin dropping three EB04 Roronoa Zoros in a row was too much for him to handle. It might seem like a simple play on the surface, but it really showed how Kevin knew the right way to tip an otherwise even match in his favor!
Q: Looking forward, where do you see the One Piece TCG meta heading, be it from a competitive perspective or a viewer’s perspective? What do you hope One Piece TCG events feature in the future?
A: For the most part, I think the Red Bull Double Don!! finals gave us a good look at what’s going to be strong in the OP15 meta. We just experience the first round of card rotation in OPTCG as well so it was interesting to see what decks people had faith in! Things like Enel got an extra boost of power from the unique Double Don!! format, but even in the standard game it’ll still be a top contendor! Other decks like OP11 Nami, OP15 Lucy, OP14 Mihawk, and OP15 Luffy should be pretty common as well. The meta feels pretty wide open! As usual, don’t worry too much about tournament results and play what’s cool to you at your local store! That’s how you’ll have the most fun. More than anything, I really hope this is only the first of many Red Bull Double Don!! events we’ll get to enjoy! Let’s do it again, but BIGGER!
How about that, folks? Excited to try out the One Piece Card Game? I sure am!
