With James Banks taking a leave of absence ahead of a new addition to his family, the upcoming BLAST Open Rotterdam event will feature a different face on the broadcast. Australian broadcast talent Natalie “NatTea” Mahoney has been contracted to take over desk hosting and interviewing duties for the tournament.
While she is relatively new to the Counter-Strike broadcast circuit, Mahoney has an established background across multiple major esports titles.
Career Transition
Before entering the esports industry, the 29 year old Australian graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and spent three years working in the profession. Her entry into esports began in 2018 when she worked as a volunteer for ESL Australia during the IEM Sydney event. She eventually transitioned into an on camera role, working her way up to become an interviewer for the League of Legends Circuit Oceania in 2021.
Establishing a Presence in Dota 2
Mahoney gained significant industry recognition following her move into Dota 2. She debuted as a host for The International 2021 China and Southeast Asia qualifiers and subsequently became a regular presence in the Dota Pro Circuit and at Valve sponsored events.
Her hosting credits include several of the largest tournaments in the industry, including consecutive appearances at The International from 2022 to 2025, the Riyadh Masters 2024, the Esports World Cup 2025, and multiple tier 1 BLAST Slam events.
Cross-Title Broadcast Experience
Although she is most widely recognized for her work in Dota 2, Mahoney has diversified her portfolio by hosting and interviewing across other competitive titles. Her broadcast history includes events in Halo, EA Sports FC, and Counter-Strike. Her extensive experience managing premier arena broadcasts positions her to facilitate the analyst desk and conduct player interviews during the Rotterdam event.
Full Broadcast Talent Lineup for BLAST Open Rotterdam
To bring the event to life, BLAST has assembled a mix of experienced Counter-Strike voices alongside newer additions. Here is the complete list of on-air talent for the tournament:
- NatTea: Desk host and interviewer
- DarfMike: Desk host and show host
- Iain Chambers: Stage host
- Mauisnake: Analyst
- dupreeh: Analyst
- voo: Analyst
- Pimp: Analyst
- Scrawny: Caster
- launders: Caster
- Anders: Caster
- HenryG: Caster
