South African Dota 2 talent Snare wants people to know the game is for everyone
In an exclusive interview, South African Dota 2 caster Snare reflects on his journey as a black man in Dota 2 and inspiring those that will come after him.
There is no one in the Dota 2 esports scene quite like South African caster Sean "Snare" Rihlamvu.
With his signature dreads, beaming smile, eye-catching fashion sense, and infectious energy, Snare has carved a place for himself in Dota 2 esports as a well-liked, up-and-coming talent appearing on the broadcasts for the game's biggest tournaments.
But what really makes Snare stand out is the fact that he's pretty much the only black man in Dota 2 esports, a scene dominated by players, teams, and talent largely from Western and Asian countries.
"I'm aware that I'm representing South Africa and African Dota in general, but I'm also very, very aware that I'm the only black person in Dota, right? It's like, just me," Snare told Yahoo Esports SEA in an exclusive interview during the recently-concluded Bali Major.
But more than just being the first black man to rise to prominence in a scene where others like him are woefully underrepresented, Snare knows his impact goes well beyond his own accomplishments.
Snare's journey in Dota
After starting out as a semi-professional player in South Africa, Snare pivoted to casting and started making a name for himself around 2019. In 2021, he got his first gig in the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC), casting in Division II of the Chinese regional league.
In 2022, Snare would go on to become a regular in DPC broadcasts. He even scored a coveted gig as an analyst during The International (TI) 2022, last year's iteration of Dota 2's annual world championship tournament.
Last May, Snare hosted his first-ever Dota 2 Major in Lima, Peru. And it was an encounter with a fan there that made him realise what it really means for him to be the only prominent black man in the scene.
"I'm in Lima, you know, obviously that was first big event, my first Major. There's a conversation I won't forget. This guy comes to me, asked me to sign something, I was like "Alright, cool man." And then he gives me this lighter, right? I'm like, "Okay, thanks I guess," Snare recounted.
But then what he says afterwards legitimately I won't forget. He says, 'You know, seeing you reminds me that Dota can be for people that look like me too. Dota isn't just for tall European guys, Dota isn't just for people coming out of the Middle-East, Dota isn't just for the Chinese scene, Dota isn't just for folk who've already been highly-represented at the highest echelons of Dota. Even if there's no one else, there's at least you, right? That lets me know that there's a piece of this thing that belongs to me as well.'Snare
Proving it was possible for black men to rise to prominence in Dota was something Snare didn't even think about as he was grinding his way up to where he is now. It's difficult for anyone, to be sure, but coming from South Africa forced Snare to overcome challenges few others had to.
For one, just getting to play and cast Dota wasn't easy, when there was no reliable power or internet in South Africa (though Snare assured us it's much better now).
But more than that, it was the huge gamble he had to take to even participate in a scene that provided very little opportunities for people like him.
"It's a big sacrifice, [getting into] Dota. It's the amount of time you have to spend to really get good at Dota, whether it be as a player or as a talent, that does require you to give up quite a few other things. So you have to take the big gamble, like not spending as much time at school, not finishing a degree, not working as much, and choosing Dota instead," said Snare.
Snare admits that pretty much gambling his entire life on something like Dota almost made him quit at multiple points throughout his career. If not for his fiery passion for the game and the support of family and friends, the caster says he definitely won't be where he is now.
"It did feel like it was an all or nothing affair at points, and for the longest time I was getting nothing out of Dota. Like, it was just pure passion, just that I happened to really, really, really, really, really, really love this game that kept me going within it," said Snare.
"There are people who just kept me going, and not just in terms of support mentally and emotionally, right? Some of my friends have paid my rent, bought me groceries, driven me around to places, told me things like 'Hey you can sleep here if you don't have any electricity, so you can cast games' or 'Hey yo your PC right now is broken, something's going on? Don't worry, you can borrow some gear from me'."
Looking back at his arduous journey to becoming the only prominent black man in Dota and what it means for others like him, Snare says he wants to inspire and lift up those that will come after him.
"I understood that I'm not just representing African Dota. It's like if I go [away], right, what are the odds that there's not another black guy out of our corner? So, until that next person comes in, I have to be around, I have to do as well as humanly possible to make sure that the next person has an easier road than I did. And the next person after them will have an easier road than they did," said Snare.
"I wouldn't even think of it as a burden, but it's like this is how I can pay back the luck, the opportunity, and the genuine privilege I get to be doing this as a living. I hope somebody else down the stretch gets to experience the same joy I found in this."
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