A German commentator rose to the top of the German “League of Legends” scene. Now he has been fired and explains where the real problems lie.
Who is it about? Bastian “Basti” Lilienthal, also known as TSI Basti, is a German play-by-play caster in League of Legends. He is the one who intensifies the most action-packed moments in the game with his voice. The 24-year-old has been commenting for the Prime League, operated by Freaks4U, since 2021 across various leagues and tournaments of League of Legends on Twitch.
According to him, his greatest achievements include the German commentary of the League of Legends World Championship and the best times from NNO. During NNO’s Miracle Run, he produced streams with up to 50,000 viewers simultaneously and was involved in many of the highlights.
Now, the well-known face of the Prime League has been let go, and the reasons reveal a structural problem.
New video shows how difficult esports is
What kind of video is this? On his YouTube channel “TSI Basti”, the German commentator has released a new video in which he announces that he no longer works for his former employer, Freaks4U, since May 1, 2025.
The reason for his dismissal is structural – the economic pressure in esports is high:
- For years, interest in esports from sponsors has been declining. Basti himself speaks in his video of the “esports winter” and how difficult the current situation is for companies like Freaks4U.
- The uncertain future of the second league, which was primarily his area of work, also turned out to be a problem. Decreasing interest in the league, along with co-streaming at large events, resulted in lower viewership on the official channels.
- The generally poor situation in esports also led to layoffs at Freaks4U. As one of two play-by-play casters and the youngest commentator on the team, Basti had poor odds in the legally mandated social selection process in case of redundancy with operational reasons. His position was cut and will only be offered as a freelance position in the future.
What is the esports winter? The “esports winter” mentioned by the commentator describes a phase in which the esports industry struggles with decreasing investments, hesitant sponsors, and a general decline in interest. This leads to financial shortfalls, layoffs, and the cancellation of projects.
This phenomenon is not limited to League of Legends but also affects other titles and leagues, such as Valorant, where even the best team had to cut 50% of their salary shortly after winning the championship.
As early as 2023, the end of Summoner’s Inn, the German news website for League of Legends esports, was noticeable – a clear sign of this impending “esports winter”.
What was Summoner’s Inn?
Summoner’s Inn, founded in 2014 by the Berlin agency Freaks4U Gaming, was long the central hub for LoL esports in Germany. Freaks4U also operates the German “League of Legends” league Prime League in collaboration with Riot Games. Summoner’s Inn streamed LoL tournaments on Twitch and YouTube and held exclusive broadcasting rights for the League of Legends World Championships in Germany for many years.
The last remaining casters of the Prime League have been further reduced, and now TSI Basti has also been affected. However, the German commentator has agreed to take up the position as a freelancer and will remain available to fans accordingly. With the newfound time, he intends to stream more on Twitch in the future.
In the comments under the video, many fans and viewers wish the commentator all the best and thank him for the many good casts. The journey of NNO is not only one of the most important experiences for TSI Basti; one person was also strongly involved, even if many do not see it: Twitch streamer builds one of the most recognized German teams in LoL 12 years ago, but is not seen by many as the founder
