ESL have announced that eSports veteran host and commentator Paul "ReDeYe" Chaloner has left the organization because of a job offer by a different company in eSports.
Paul "ReDeYe" Chaloner has been involved in eSports for over 13 years now, commentating and hosting over 175 events around the world. The 43 year old eSports veteran has worked with all the major eSports titles, including Dota 2, League of Legends, Hearthstone, CS:GO, and more.
However, it now appears that Chaloner has decided to step down from his role as the Head of Content & Media at Turtle Entertainment, the owners of ESL. Chaloner states that the reason for his departure is because he was offered a position by a different company, claiming that he wanted to do something different in eSports.
Chaloner's full statement can be read below:
I have, for a number of months now, been considering my future and my role within esports. I am just as passionate and enthusiastic as I was back in 2002 when I first took up the mic, but after more than 175 events around the globe and 13 years, I felt the time was right to step down from hosting and commentating esports events.
My time with ESL came at a point in my life where all of the bricks fell into place and they offered me the chance to do the things I loved doing. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity given to me by good friends such as Ralf Reichert, Tobias Grieser and Sven Hoffmann. My time at ESL has seen enormous growth, not only for esports but for ESL too, and I'd like to think I played a small role in some of that.
One of the many reasons this was such a hard decision is because I have had the true pleasure of working with some of the finest minds in esports over the last two and half years. Working alongside Michal Blicharz, James Lampkin and Oliver Lossef among many, many talented people has been a real honour and I have learned a great deal from them.
I am also very proud of the team of commentators and hosts that I have worked with, not just the talented bunch of casters at ESL, but all of those around the world.
It has also been my pleasure to work for some of the biggest names in esports, and I have ESL to thank for that.
My decision to step down and move on has been easily one of the hardest, if not THE hardest decision I have ever had to make, but comes at a time where I was made an offer to do something else in esports that would still allow me to contribute but in a different way, and this will be announced soon. I am not leaving esports, but it is the right time, I feel, to do something different.
ESL has been a family for me. We've shared some amazing stories over the last few years, incredible events that I have been privileged to put together or host or commentate on, and while the front-facing part always looks the business, there has been some incredible work in the background too, and so to everyone at ESL I have worked with, through good and bad moments, I just want to say thank you and keep on rocking.”
In addition, Joe Miller, editor in chief at ESL, said the following:
It was fantastic to once again link up with Paul at ESL after our paths had crossed many times in the past. I’m incredibly happy for him that he has found a position that he feels will help to take his already decorated career to the next level.
Obviously this means that we will lose one of our highly talented team members, but the search for a new top-tier host has already started here at ESL.
In the meantime, we have reached out to other highly talented hosts such as Chobra and Smix, among others, to cover the events that are coming in the near future.
2015 is shaping up to be the most exciting year yet for ESL yet, and I look forward to sharing it with you all!”