The story of ODPixel and his rise to become one of Dota 2's best casters

Owen "ODPixel" Davies is a British Dota 2 caster. He is one of the best in his line and is known for his ability to cast games with exceptional speed.

Dubbed by the community as the Rap God of Dota 2, ODPixel is also acknowledged as one of the best casters in the game's history. His insane ability to speak exceptionally fast during team fights earned him his Rap God moniker.

Here's a look at his life and career, and how he became one of the best in the business.

He empowered @Ceb's most clutch move during #TI8 and gave a voice to our legendary Grand Final.Happy birthdayyyyyyy to the godlike caster and meme maker @ODPixel.#DreamOG pic.twitter.com/pGU5rY0daz

— OG (@OGesports) March 29, 2020

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Early career in Dota 2

ODPixel began his career by casting local Dota 2 tournaments in the UK. He started with close friend Chris "WakeyPixel" Wake from his apartment. Owen cast some of the UK's biggest Dota 2 events and caught the eye of Beyond The Summit.

He was invited to cast the StarLadder StarSeries Season 12: European and CIS qualifiers. It was here that ODPixel got his big break.

In a group stage series between Cloud9 and ScaryFacez, ODPixel and Kevin "Purge" Godec inadvertently made history. They were scheduled to cast what seemed like a regular series of Dota 2.

But the second game of the series went on for 200 minutes and 34 seconds, becoming the longest pro game in Dota 2 history.

The community and other casters heaped praise upon ODPixel for his performance during the game. He also received attention and recognition for his performance in a match between ASUS Polar and NiP during the same tournament.

The production crew played Eminem's Rap God over ODPixel's casting, who took it in his stride and rhymed his words perfectly with the beat.

His performance made him a favorite amongst the Dota 2 community. As a result, he earned an invite to The International 5 and consequently became a mainstay in Dota 2 broadcasting.

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Back to back International Grand Finals

Since appearing at The International 5, ODPixel has rarely missed a Valve event. The community loves him, the players like him, and his colleagues respect him.

Despite being at every International, ODPixel would never cast the Grand Finals. He cast the Upper Bracket Finals between LGD Forever Young and Newbee at TI7, alongside Ioannis "Fogged" Loucas. The Upper Bracket Finals between Evil Geniuses and Wings at TI6 alongside Andy "Draskyl" Stiles.

The International Grand Finals between 2015 and 2017 were all cast by Toby "TobiWan" Dawson and Troels Lyngholt "syndereN" Nielsen.

But at The International 2018, ODPixel finally got his chance. Alongside longtime casting partner Fogged and special guest Ben "Merlini" Wu, the caster got to call the action as OG took on PSG.LGD in the Grand Finals.

During the finals, ODPixel made one of the most iconic calls in Dota 2 history. When OG's off-laner Sébastien "Ceb" Debs landed a crucial call while playing Axe, ODPixel screamed his name for the entire play. This one-word-line became the most popular voice line in the Dota 2 Battle Pass.

ODPixel and Fogged cast the TI9 Grand Finals one year later, becoming the second duo ever to cast multiple TI Grand Finals.

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Whether it be ODPixel's endearing personality, his energetic casting style, or his adorable relationship with Jorien "Sheever" van der Heijden, the community loves every bit of his work.

His love and passion for the game are undeniable, and he is sure to stay in Dota 2 broadcasting for years to come.