September 27, 2025
Esports production is not a one-person job. Delivering a flawless event that captivates audiences, runs smoothly, and meets professional standards requires an army. Khiana has been an essential part of that army for years, bringing her expertise and dedication to the North American Valorant scene.
When we talk about esports production, a lot comes to mind. From broadcast setup to player coordination. But there’s one extremely niche yet crucial aspect that often goes under the radar: observing. Each Valorant round lasts just 100 seconds, and in that short time, a lot unfolds between the 10 players. Capturing the right moments, the ones the audience wants to see, can be nerve-wracking. In esports, history is made in split seconds, and it’s the observer’s job to frame those game-defining shots and plays that live on in highlight reels forever.
Khiana has been doing that for a long time, both on a small and large scale. From working events like the CVAL Spring 2023 Season and The Milk Cup to working on Riot Games’ tournaments, they have been making waves. Recently, Khiana was part of the VCT Americas graphics team, a high-stakes role that comes with its own pressures and demands.
When we asked Khiana about how they handle the intensity of such a job, they shared insights into the challenges, the thrill of live production, and what it takes to thrive in the esports scene.
An Interview with Khiana, esports production assistant
You’ve worn many hats across production: observer, graphics operator, and general production assistant. Did you always want to be a jack-of-all-trades in esports, or did you start with a specific path in mind?
K: Since my start in broadcast work, I’ve always tackled multiple roles out of necessity, but it definitely was not what I had pictured my future would look like. However, it has absolutely become something I’m able to pride myself in. I thought that I knew what I wanted to do when I started, but the more I work on different roles, the more intrigued I become by new paths. A huge passion of mine is still in observing and I hope to be able to work on a T1 show someday as an observer, but for now, I’m really lucky to be able to learn as much as I am in so many different departments.
You’ve worked on tournaments of all sizes. How does transitioning between different production scales affect your approach?
K: The difference in the productions for me is simply less versus more resources. Seeing the workarounds and solutions that Raidiant is able to find is nothing short of incredible and really showcases how much will be accomplished by this crew. Personally, no matter the show I’m working on, I bring my absolute best. I strive to bring the highest quality of work to every show I’m a part of and truly love the feeling of ending a day knowing I’ve done my absolute best. It’s easy to begin becoming complacent, so what works for me is remembering how ecstatic I would’ve been when I first started to know what I was working on now. Working on Raidiant’s shows means working with other like-minded people full of passion and excitement.
How did you get into tournament observing and esports production? What led you to work with both Raidiant and Riot Games?
K: My first work in broadcast was around 2021, where I produced CSGO and Fortnite through vMix and dabbled in observing. A few years later, I founded a VALORANT-based project, and it just so happened one of our streams needed a last-minute observer, so I decided to hop in. I instantly fell in love with observing and took every opportunity I could to practice observing moving forward. A little over a year later, Raidiant gave me the amazing opportunity to observe their very first Raidiant Academy, and I was ecstatic! It helped grow my confidence in my observing as well as experiment to find my footing. Another year later, I was offered the opportunity to observe the Main Event of Game Changers. This had been my dream since I started observing VALORANT 3 years ago, and it meant the world to me to work on the show that I’ve admired for so long.
As someone who’s helped support live broadcasts in multiple roles, can you share a moment where a quick decision, whether in observing or graphics, had a big impact on the show?
K: I can recall a time during Raidiant’s Milk Cup Academy broadcast where we had an issue getting the in-game overlay to display properly, and we were able to get it fixed for that very same first game through fast troubleshooting. Additionally, the platform used to display social embeds on VCT has had a few issues with displaying the content properly, so it requires close attention to filter through them.
There was a week in VCT Split 1 where we found ourselves having a lot of technical pauses. I had already made a few pitches to implement this split-like feature chat during tech pauses, but one of these pitches I made live during a tech pause was, “What if we renovated our #TechPaws screen to go to all regions?” The producers really liked the idea, and during that same tech pause, I had an approved graphic for if we wanted to do a #TechPaws.
What kind of team dynamics exist in a production crew? How do you coordinate with casters, producers, and other team members during a live event?
K: The dynamics that exist on a base level in a production crew are as expected, but the dynamics I love are the ones that develop the more you get to know the people you work alongside. The relationships that grow the more you call for someone on comms or bring a new idea is something I’ve truly valued while working with recurring crews like Raidiant and Gravity Media. I’m very lucky to work with such attentive producers, which makes it easy to give live messages and pitches that will be taken into consideration, even when it’s 4 minutes until live.
Working in live broadcast is a high-pressure job, especially in ultra-competitive games. How do you stay focused and adaptable when things don’t go as planned during a show?
K: It’s almost a promise that things won’t go as you hoped in a live broadcast, so the most crucial thing is being adaptable and able to recover quickly. In my opinion, staying focused becomes much easier when you are invested in the production (and have access to a lot of caffeine). When you’re able to watch the product and enjoy it, you’ll create the highest quality work. If things don’t go as planned, the best, but hardest, thing to do is to move forward. Dwelling on mistakes will only dwindle the quality of your work as you continue the day. This is something I had to learn the hard way when I first started observing, and I was extremely hard on myself for all the mistakes I made.
What kind of prep goes into your production roles before show day? Does your workflow change based on whether you’re observing, running graphics, or supporting the team in another way?
K: The preparation for a day changes a lot depending on what role I’m working in. I’ve gotten to see the morning routine for lots of different positions, and there are some roles like Admin or Observing that require preparation on the days leading up to the show-day as well.
For someone looking to break into esports production, what advice would you give them?
K: Work every show you can. There’s going to be a lot of volunteer work you have to do before you can get to a point where you and others can feel confident in your work. On top of that, reach out to every show you can. Find a point of contact for that random tournament you saw online and pitch yourself to work on it. More often than not, they’d love to have the extra hands on deck. Also, don’t forget to download all the VODs for the shows you work on!
For anyone hoping to follow in Khiana’s footsteps, her story is a reminder that breaking into esports isn’t about a single role or a straight line – it’s about persistence and adaptability.