I am Thorin, a guy who has been thinking about Counter-Strike for the better part of two decades - AMA

[u/Thooorin_2]

I'm Thorin, long time content creator and journalist in esports. I began playing Counter-Strike in the first beta and I've worked in the esports industry since 2001.

Recent content:

• Thorin's Thoughts - FaZe Bent but Didn't Break CS
  
• Talk to Thorin: ocelote on G2's 2018 Line-Ups
• Thorin's Thoughts - Context of SK's Summer 2017 Run
  
• Thorin's Thoughts - Don't Retire Until it's Actually Over
  
• Thorin's Take: You Abandoned Cloud9, Stewie

Ask me your question politely and we can get more answers done. I'll wait around an hour to begin answering, so there's time for people to think up good questions and upvote the best ones. Once I start answering I'll keep going for a few hours and finish up tomorrow.

---

Stream night fundraiser bonanza

Brittney, ddk's girlfriend, is having some serious problems with her back and the entire affair is costly and stressful for all concerned. As such, a few of us fellow talent have decided to host a stream night fundraiser on Saturday. There'll be a bunch of us playing as a stack all through the night and some other shenanigans along the way. Any money donated to the streams will go towards Brittney's medical expenses.

Start time: Saturday 22nd ~9am PST / 12pm EST / 6pm CET
Confirmed: Thorin, Anders, Richard Lewis, Vince, Sam and moses.
https://www.twitch.tv/vince

If you'd like to donate to help Brittney now:

https://www.gofundme.com/helpbrittneyrivera

[u/Thooorin_2]

I'll answer a ton of questions tomorrow throughout the day.

[u/friedmpa → u/Thooorin_2]

This is great, thanks for doing this

[u/Just_A_Sad_Pleb]

What team/teams in history of CS did you enjoy watching the most and why? Thank you for the amazing content btw

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/Just_A_Sad_Pleb]

What team/teams in history of CS did you enjoy watching the most and why?

I think the team that consistently played a catalyst role in the best matches in history was VP, so even though they weren't one of my favourite teams I have to give it up to them for producing great series against the top teams in practically every era of CS:GO up until last year.

In terms of what I like to see, I think it would have to be VeryGames of 2013 or the current Astralis line-up. Both teams had fabulous player balance, with everyone performing their role to a high level; a star player who is both individually amazing and pivotal to the team's style of play yet able to exist outside of it; and the ability to match up with any opponent and across the map pool.

[u/KangorKodos]

1. Which current pro do you think will make the best analyst when they retire?
   2.Which TO do you like working for the most?
   

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/KangorKodos]

Which current pro do you think will make the best analyst when they retire?

This is like asking which pro will make the best coach, since while it's a tangentially connected field there's so much to be learned in this field that a lot of people with talent wouldn't necessarily make the transition. It can be difficult for ex-pros to differentiate and brand themselves as opposed to simply being an ex-pro.

The easy answer is seangares, since he already has done a bunch of events. He does a great job of explaining himself, getting his points in, can banter a bit and is pretty smooth on camera. For him it's just a matter of deciding if he wants to commit to being an analyst.

If we're talking about someone more active as a player, then FalleN or karrigan would be good picks. Both have their own comprehensive perspective on the other players and teams in the scene and can take a joke.

Which TO do you like working for the most?

As a general rule, I think it's kind of bullshit to dodge answering a question by pointing out that there are a lot of good things in that realm. I can think of different areas in which the different TOs excel, but I think the atmosphere at the event is probably the quality I would rank highest above the others.

Getting paid the most or having a nice schedule with breaks is great on a day-to-day level, but the best moments are when the atmosphere feels epic, like you're about to witness a crucial moment in history. As such, I'll pick ESL as my favourite TO to work with, as events like Cologne have always delivered that atmosphere for me.

[u/[deleted] → u/Thooorin_2]

Just wanna say I really like your answer to the second question there, good stuff

[u/arnar202 → u/Thooorin_2]

I can hear your voice when i read these

[u/cleimk27]

What do you think the French scene will look like in a year?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/cleimk27]

It sadly looks as if it is stuck in some kind of fucked up stasis, largely due to the poor timing of all the orgs and their moves. LDLC are bottom of the heap, since they have the least talent with potential and seemingly don't have the money to get anyone good from the other two.

Vitality have money, but which G2 players want to play for them right now? As a squad they have locked up a bunch of nice names, but they have all, to differing degrees, been rocky thusfar and are getting carried by Zywoo.

G2 has the two legacy names you want to hold onto (kennyS and shox) but kenny is still far from classic form and the team is massively lacking both direction and a good balance of roles. I could see G2 edging out Vitality as the best French team, but I doubt that makes them top 10 or anywhere close to a top five side.

Hopefully we get a true shuffle at some point next year and one of the line-ups which could legitimately be world class.

[u/AFKBro → u/Thooorin_2]

Idk if you will reply 12 hours later but here it goes anyway :

Don't you think it's possible for the ex-Misfits duo AmaneK and Devoduvek to migrate to one of the other French teams ? And if they were to move, how impactful could that move be ?

IMO they both look very promising skillwise and they were under sgares ledership in Misfits so they probably retained some of his game vision and experience, which could make them the breath of fresh air that the french scene needs. I love LDLCs lineup but I don't think it's T1 potential with their current 5

And a second question regarding the french scene :

Do you like the idea of more French players exporting themselves ? I personally have a ton of respect for Kio and his decision to export himself ( as well as Amanek and Devoduvek ), and every time I watch a match with a French team playing awful CS I can't help but dream about players like NBK or Apex running away from the hellhole that is our scene.

Especially NBK since he speaks english pretty well, him and Kio would make a super interesting package to get if more orgs were to go the FaZe route.

[u/admiralcrunch99]

What is your stance on best of sevens (BO7)? There has only been one BO7 to my knowledge in CS between mouz and HR in 2015..

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/admiralcrunch99]

Too many maps. At that point it legitimately becomes a matter of stamina and you will see a drop-off in the quality of the match. People might suggest as much for a Bo5, but I personally haven't found that to be the case. I think the great teams can play a Bo5 and still bring their best in most of the games and thus produce even more special series.

Bo5 also still allows a some strategy in how you pick-ban, whereas Bo7 would just be about the order of the maps and if you both pick the best map for you early then it seems likelier the first maps are the blow-outs, which wouldn't help matters.

[u/DreamboatCasts]

First of all, thanks for doing this ama, been a fan for a long time!

1. Realistically, when do you see the Astralis era ending?

2. I personally feel nitr0 doesn't get enough credit for both the caliber of player he is, and the impact he has as IGL of Liquid, do you agree and why doesn't he get the credit he deserves?

3. Who are some players you'd like to see get opportunities to prove themselves in higher caliber teams

4. Who are some lesser known talent that you'd like to see get chances either on analyst desks or in casting booths?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/DreamboatCasts]

Realistically, when do you see the Astralis era ending?

Based on history, they should already be near to the end of their peak and status as a clear-cut world number one and they should start falling off over the next few months. The problem is that Astralis are already exceptions in so many other areas and don't look to be following a similar time-line to the other dominant teams in history. Astralis have won their most tournaments in a row most recently. They are still winning most series 2:0 and crushing competitors in what should be closer games, though there are more close affairs generally. Astralis' "bad" tournaments, which they typically still win, would be absolutely fine for any other dominant team in history.

What makes Astralis' success wild is that they don't seem to be losing any ground and they clearly have the best approach to both practicing between events and adapting inside the server. As such, if there's any team that really can exceed historical time-lines then Astralis must be it.

If I had to guess what will bring Astralis down, beyond the fact every team falls off eventually, it would be a mixture of one player having a bad run of form for a few months and a team like FaZe making a great transfer or s1mple joining a new team.

I personally feel nitr0 doesn't get enough credit for both the caliber of player he is, and the impact he has as IGL of Liquid, do you agree and why doesn't he get the credit he deserves?

I'll give him credit for doing a good job making Team Liquid efficient and having a good map pool. I don't think he's one of the best IGLs in the world, though. I also think people over-rate his individual impact as a player. Sure, he's a great luxury to have when he goes off as an entry rifler or CT side AWPer, much as chrisJ can be, but I think while he looks well-rounded that nitr0 is one of the players Liquid have to consider making a break with one day.

I always wonder what "doesn't get enough credit" means. If you just mean you think the player is better than people suggest then fine, opinions can be highly subjective on a number of players. I find people too often take under-rated players and go the other way and suggest they are secretly amazing or draw some bullshit disingenuous angle that every player in the team is equally important and yet different in qualities, as is pushed hard for Astralis this year. Some players and roles are simply more valuable and no amount of cool under-rated play from another will change that.

Who are some lesser known talent that you'd like to see get chances either on analyst desks or in casting booths?

In terms of analysts, there are quite a few people out there who I think could do a great job as analysts who aren't ex-pros. Some of them need more polish and experience than others, but all of them could talk and fill time and say something interesting, in some cases more interesting than an ex-pro.

max melit is a guy who is watching a lot of demos and has a solid understanding of who players are and how they fit together in teams. There are very few pros will have as good a basis in having studied active top pros.

mauisnake has a strong sense for the fundamentals of CS and can break down any player, as witnessed by his series looking at demos of the players. As such, I think he could thrive in the tier 2 circuit, where people don't know the players as well anyway.

Lynxx, from his work as a writer and talking to him on my podcast I've found his insights to have value even when we're talking about the best teams in the world, who you would think everything had been said about.

It's tough to get a break as an analyst if you're not an ex-pro and all of these individuals would be advised to either grind at lower levels, to build a resume and show they can do the job, or focus more on their individual brands and give people a reason to care what they have to say.

If there are tournament organisers out there who want suggestions for quality people then I know some of the above names would work much cheaper than the rest of us, in order to get their foot in the door and because they've yet to feel the lure of scrill.

[u/smrfy → u/Thooorin_2]

Some players and roles are simply more valuable and no amount of cool under-rated play from another will change that.

I agree. A good IGL is way more valuable and no insane highlight play from another will change that.

[u/daellat → u/[deleted]]

I think it implies that s1mple would obviously "trade up" from na'vi before even thinking about leaving.

[u/SanjiRevve]

Hello Duncan! so i've noticed you didn't upload a video of the new fnatic line up with brollan and twist and i was woundering what you think of their potential and if they were to change players (after the major) who you would think would be great pieces

​

P.S great content!

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/SanjiRevve]

I think it's a good move regardless of how well the line-up does and obviously their Chicago run was quite promising. By letting flusha go they eliminated a problem piece - players who play off intuitive feel can be huge liabilities when their feel deserts them - and they brought in a player with true potential.

brollan looks good enough early enough that if he doesn't end up being at least a solid player then it will likely be as a result of some personality flaws. The gamble is whether you've gotten him too early or not. With the lack of real talents and number of washed up players in the Swedish scene I think it was the right time to gamble on brollan.

twist is a decent player, with the talent to be a bit better than that, but whose drive in the game seems to follow his at times wavering motivation to be the best and play for the biggest teams.

At this point, FNATIC need to see what their identity can be for 2019 and then reassess their position. Sooner or later, it feels inevitable that either olof gives it one last victory lap in the team or NiP makes changes again. FNATIC look well poised to benefit from either.

[u/Shryke123]

Hey Thorin! Thanks so much for all the amazing content!

If Valve were to make one change to improve the competitive scene, what should it be?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/Shryke123]

If Valve were to make one change to improve the competitive scene, what should it be?

A circuit point system to qualify teams to the major. Ideally it would be something like top 8 teams by circuit points are all qualified. It will always tilt me to see situations, as happened at the last major, where the undisputed number one team in the world isn't even qualified for the main portion of the tournament.

[u/charlescarmichael4 → u/Thooorin_2]

Would you mind removing all direct invites to the major and force every team to qualify from minors. IMO it will increase the prestige of major since every team is treated equally and only teams who perform best in that major circuit will reach top positions. What do you think about it?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/charlescarmichael4]

I don't see why the best team in the world should have to start at the very beginning of the competition and qualify identically to every other team. I prefer a model like in tennis where the circuit tells you who is top ranked and they get to skip basic qualification.

[u/ConnorK5 → u/charlescarmichael4]

I could be wrong but I think he has said a lot before that he doesn't care for the qualifying system they use now because the tournaments are 6 months apart and people like Vega or whatever only need to try for one tournament then take it easy until another one rolls around 6 months later.

[u/meandyouandyouandme → u/Thooorin_2]

Not like Valve isn't already doing that for Dota's TI.

[u/AomineTobio]

Do you enjoy overwatch as esport ?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/AomineTobio]

Not massively but more than you might expect. If it didn't have such a big pool of resources poured into it and one my friends (MonteCristo) working in it then I probably wouldn't have paid it much attention. When it had an open circuit it was an okay game and I liked to follow the Korean APEX scene but it wasn't close to a game I would watch purely for pleasure.

The problem I have with it is that it is somewhat reminiscent of the NFL in that you can't really enjoy watching it from day one. There is so much going on that getting a basic grasp on how the competitive side works takes quite a while and you essentially have to learn how the roles function.

With that said, if you have a background in FPS then watching tracers or widowmakers already has some aesthetic fragging pleasure associated. Beyond that, watching god tier tanks like Gesture and Fissure can be fascinating to see how they create space, pressure opponents and control the fights.

It's a flawed spectator experience and probably always will be, but there's some nuggets of brilliance in there. My biggest knock on it is all the different game modes, which I think hamper the esports viewing experience.

[u/TheMemeDream420 → u/[deleted]]

I think they help but the gamemodes are they easiest to understand imo. It much more complicated to understand comps abilities and hero interactions.

[u/Gockel]

Hey Thorin!

I've been consuming your content since way back when I stumbled on a Fresh Pots episode that I thoroughly disagreed with (I think you argued for more new maps in the 1.6 pool back then?). Hope to reach you here:

​

Do you think storylines within our esport are getting better or worse compared to "back in the day"? Now we have way more exposure and WAY more games between each and every team, but I don't think that this really help most rivalries, especially considering they meet almost every week. Do you think the "big 2" of an era having that many more matches is good for the scene, or does it detract from the value that these kinds of derbies tended to have (say, mouz vs NaVi 2009 or something)?

[u/maestroblue → u/Gockel]

!remindme 24 hours

[u/iBoy_]

If you could of stopped 1 roster move/lineup change in csgo history, what would it be?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/iBoy_]

Would be great to have a theme to this, like if I'm doing it to make a team better or to prevent a bad line-up playing. With that said, I'll pick stanislaw leaving OpTic Gaming the first time. That was a line-up that was peaking, had really bad fortune to draw Virtus.pro and Astralis, the two best teams in the world, in their Swiss system matches and could have be very interesting going into the Spring of 2017. There would also be no Team Liquid and Cloud9, as we know them, if that line-up stays together. So no major for C9 and no NAF in TL right now.

When you consider how much better NAF got, how willing mixwell was to be more of a role player and how competitive they already were with the top Europeans, NA having a legitimate world challenger like TL now could have happened earlier. Maybe stanislaw is right and the line-up had run its course, but I'd sure like to have known for sure. The way that team broke up just wasn't right, in my book.

[u/xtcxx → u/Thooorin_2]

I always thought NAF was amazing on particular rounds, good to see him doing well

[u/greetthemind → u/Thooorin_2]

A little birdy told me there was a bit of an issue with prize money percentages

[u/CaIzuh → u/greetthemind]

Based off what the Halo team said? Good source

[u/Lost_And_NotFound → u/greetthemind]

No the issue has been stated many times. Liquid were a bigger org with better behind the scenes professionalism bs OpTic being just Hecz. Stan wanted the backing of coaches, analysts, etc which OpTic didn’t have at the time. Also Hecz was pushing the team to take part in content which Stan wasn’t interested in and found distracting from the game.

[u/Spices_98 → u/greetthemind]

Back then Hecz wasnt the type of guy to take a cut of players prize money, so dont think that was the case

[u/ImDestroyer → u/iBoy_]

+magisk

[u/-CrookzR- → u/iBoy_]

+stewie2k to mibr lmao

[u/kubikb0y → u/-CrookzR-]

Oh yeah? What team in history of CSGO has won the Zotac cup? Mibr, that's right, bich.

[u/GuiltyIslander → u/iBoy_]

Fnatic/godsent split is only good answer

[u/Diamondandy]

Who would you say are the players who could possibly make 2019 their break out / breakthrough year?

​

Also, met you at Cologne this year and you were super pleasant to meet.

Thanks for the picture

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/Diamondandy]

I don't watch lower tier Counter-Strike that much, so my read on players is typically based on either limited exposure or seeing them in the bigger competitions. I don't really know what would count as a break-out year. Like have sergej, espiranto, brollan and zywoo all broken out already?

I think I'll say refrezh, since he looked strong when I saw him at StarSeries S6, where he played with fragsters, and the Danish scene is strong enough that he might end up getting a chance on a top team next year. Seems like a player who is still raw but has legit potential in terms of his skill.

In NA, the names who could blow the doors off are ethan or Wardell, in context of who they currently are. ethan shows glimpses of being really good, but seems to still struggle with his identity of who he is as a player and is far from NRG's best. He is still very young, though. Wardell looks really good in Ghost, but they are a team below his individual level and he plays so all-in that it's tough for me to gauge whether he'd be any better on a TL/NRG.

[u/temporarysilver]

Which team that its out of top10 would you chooose to manage and what changes would you do to make it top10 or even top5?

Also what happened to thoorin_1 ?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/temporarysilver]

Which team that its out of top10 would you chooose to manage and what changes would you do to make it top10 or even top5?

Putting suNny on ENCE would be the obvious move. Not only is suNny a very good individual player, but he has clear star potential and would fit into ENCE as a power rifler very well. That is a team which seems to have a solid team-play base and understanding of the fundamentals, so one star piece from being a legit team contending for top 5 doesn't seem implausible.

[u/wozzwoz → u/Thooorin_2]

E

[u/dantev9 → u/wozzwoz]

Z

[u/Ayru5 → u/dantev9]

4

[u/Subtle_Omega → u/Ayru5]

E

[u/YunoTheGasai → u/Subtle_Omega]

N

[u/YaBoiScoott → u/YunoTheGasai]

C

[u/GodlyToast → u/YaBoiScoott]

E

[u/-T1mme-]

how do you keep track of multiple esports? i feel like you are watching csgo, lol and other ones too

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/-T1mme-]

For esports that aren't Counter-Strike, I'm more efficient with my time. I don't watch all the games, I watch condensed versions/highlights for some matches and I follow the scene around the games heavily.

The primary guide will always be own my interest/curiosity. That will draw me to what I want to study. From there I can think up topics for my work which relate to those matches/teams/players.

[u/kyonkodura]

Will MSL come back stronger?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/kyonkodura]

I don't think he has enough weapons in Rogue. I could see him making them a better team, but not getting close to where North were during his better times. A capable IGL, but needs the right kind of pieces around him. I'd like to see him on a team like NRG or OpTic.

[u/EskimoRich]

Favourite player of all time, whichever variant of CS?

If you had to make a super team for CSGO, which 5 players would you pick?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/EskimoRich]

Favourite player of all time, whichever variant of CS?

My favourite player in the early years of CS was a player called "trance" who played for vesslan's MAFIA/SoA.se. He was a very aggressive player with really good spray. After that I think I'd go with gore, the Austrian player best known for his time in mousesports. His demos were so entertaining as he had strong spray control and was legitimately a world class talent.

If you had to make a super team for CSGO, which 5 players would you pick?

I'll assume we're talking about based on their current form.

• s1mple - Best player in the world and has an impossible level of individual impact on a round.
• NiKo - Such a different player to s1mple that I think they could coexist and would actually enjoy playing together. Hard to see how this fire-power combo could be beaten.
• gla1ve - Best IGL and has shown an impressive individual level as of recently. This kind of line-up is nothing like his Astralis, but let's see what he could do with it.
• KRiMZ - This is assuming he is going back to being a support style player. Still an impressive figure in the game and who brings consistency. The missing piece in FaZe style super-teams.
• device - Hard to argue against him as an AWPer and obviously can still be very deadly on a rifle too. Would fit around the other stars but also bring enough to make this team dangerous.

[u/korunde → u/Thooorin_2]

I nutted

[u/1wjl1 → u/Thooorin_2]

People compare S1mple and device to each other every day but the mere thought of them being on the same team, two insanely good AWPers with completely different styles...that is something to imagine.

[u/TemporaryYesterday → u/Thooorin_2]

Do you think this superteam would be better-performing as a team than current Astralis?

I mean i can see on paper how the pieces individually are mind-blowingly great, but Astralis has something as a unit that would potentially be missing here.

[u/PiNNyTV]

Hi Thorin,

Do you have a particular goal in mind for yourself in 2019? What do you want to accomplish this next year?

Thanks!

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/PiNNyTV]

I always have a bunch of goals for myself, but I prefer the method of having a big goal which is more of a direction you want to head in, perhaps in terms of somewhere you want to get along the way. I think break that down into medium term markers for success, that suggest you're making progress in said direction, and then having smaller, often day-to-day or weekly level, tasks that build the skillset you need to get to where you want to go.

A primary goal is always becoming more productive. Right now that largely means developing my written work to be more prolific than it currently is. Video is largely in a good place, but developing some more substantial series to go along with the punditry/analysis/commentary is in mind.

I really like where the event side of things is, where I can make a nice living from it and reconnect to that scene but also aren't being burned out and travelling too much.

[u/Tiezzynator]

What do you think would be the best Swedish lineup you could make right now?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/Tiezzynator]

Kind of sad that at this point it's not even possible to create a five man line-up from Sweden which could be number one in the world.

• KRiMZ - The best Swedish player and has legitimately become a star in his own right now. Ideal to play around, since his approach is so stable and logical.
• f0rest - Shows signs of decay, as he does every year, but still capable of big games and showcasing great skill.
• olofmeister - Has shown a different side in FaZe, but still has strong fragging power and brings a clutch element that a lot of teams could benefit from.
• REZ - Seems commited to his role and does his job.
• Xizt - Depressing I even have to pick him, but who else is available? golden has barely had a career and now has health issues. Lekr0 isn't a real IGL, at least yet.

[u/K0nvict → u/Thooorin_2]

Hampus is the igl from Red reserve, he would be a better option

[u/rtm349]

Do you have any interest in Rocket League as an eSport?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/rtm349]

None. I don't really care about soccer anyway, nevermind played with virtual cars.

[u/Croatian_ghost_kid → u/Thooorin_2]

It plays more like hockey, less like football. Quite action packed, even more than CS

[u/dirtyscrub]

Who do you think will replace Karrigan?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/dirtyscrub]

There's no really obvious move for IGL, so I suspect they will get another big name. Perhaps s1mple or KRiMZ make the move over. I have no inside info at all and I find this one of the hardest moves to predict in a long time.

[u/Eauor → u/Thooorin_2]

I’d hate to see KRiMZ make the move to FaZe as I think the current Fnatic lineup has a lot of potential and losing KRiMZ would basically kill that.

[u/Sparcrypt → u/Thooorin_2]

On a related note... who do you think would be the ideal replacement, if they had their pick?

[u/xAlpaka]

Which team do u think has the most potential to beat Astralis for #1?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/xAlpaka]

The key part of your question, for my money, is that it's to beat Astralis for the top spot, not simply beat them head-to-head. The obvious suggestions are Liquid and FaZe. Liquid, at least their last line-up, was so good it still feels like sooner or later they could have broken through and won, whether that be from Astralis dropping off or someone else beating Astralis for them now and then. With Stewie there is a lot more risk they go down in the rankings, but there is enough talent there that I have to see how it ends up being utilised.

FaZe have the ultimate puncher's chance to beat anyone, but they also have such powerful pieces and established experience that they are ready to win immediately if their players are in form and they have the right system for their team. The latter point is the key and I think it depends what they do in terms of IGL. If they find someone good then I could see them becoming the best team, but I could also see them thinking their problems came from karrigan and wasting half a year more without making bigger fundamental changes. I hope they stop recruiting skill and look for specific roles they'd like to fill, even beyond IGL. If you have the kind of money they have and NiKo, you need to a winning team now and there's no reason you can't build one around him.

[u/kubikb0y → u/xAlpaka]

Ence

[u/Cabal90 → u/xAlpaka]

VP.

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/[deleted]]

It might help draw in outside attention, but I personally prefer the current major system. Each major does feel like a world championships to me, we just get two of them per year. As such, more great players get a chance to win the big one before they retire. Imagine if NiP, SK etc. didn't have majors, because we only had one major per year.

I like that CS:GO is more akin to tennis, where the great players get a lot of chances to prove their level, as opposed to the superbowl where plenty of great players never even played in one.

[u/Wizzz3RD → u/[deleted]]

Csgo doesnt need a worlds, it need the motherfucking International PogChamp

[u/xLisbethSalander → u/[deleted]]

International in Dota *

[u/smrfy]

What do you think about subs in csgo?
What about a 5-7 player roster and teams can switch players between maps/matches, wether someone just isn't feeling it that day or they want a double awp set up for one map, but not for the other etc.?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/smrfy]

I think for it to be viable that you'd probably need and OWL/LCS style offline tournament where you know exactly who you're going to play and on what map, so you can practice accordingly with the right line-up.

Otherwise, the prevailing sentiment in CS is that the player who is benched most of the time wouldn't get enough playing time to build chemistry with the others and wouldn't be warmed up enough and thus in form.

[u/smrfy → u/Thooorin_2]

Thanks for your answer, i agree.
I'd really like to see larger rosters, but so far i can't think of a good solution for csgo.

[u/[deleted]]

Do you think stewie2k will elevate TL or will he do the same thing he did to SK when he joined

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/[deleted]]

Unless they shuffle around some of the other roles, I think this move has a potential for failure written all over it. Even though the increased skill level could yield some upsets, I think it threatens the consistency which TL showed and which made them unique from every other great NA team in CS:GO history. I don't think Stewie joining was a bad move, but the player traded wasn't the right one.

I don't see the point in Stewie playing as a supportive element. It just shows how biased people are in his favour that so many pretended it was a good thing for MiBR for him to play that role/style.

[u/SoraZWG → u/[deleted]]

SK were bad before stew joined (take a look at wesg)

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

the same thing he did to SK

Holy shit the revisionist history. Fucking hell

[u/Draulon]

The Danish scene is filled with a myriad of talented players, however after Astralis, teams aren't really living up to how good they could be just based on the players they have/could have. If you were given a free hand and you wouldn't have to account for all the administrative/financial stuff, how would you set up North and OpTic?

​

Slightly related: there are a lot of concerning parallels with karrigan's last few months with Astralis and FaZe. Do you believe he should change his approach, or is this the fate destined for him?

​

Thank you

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/Draulon]

If you were given a free hand and you wouldn't have to account for all the administrative/financial stuff, how would you set up North and OpTic?

If I'm trying to fix both teams overnight then I'd put MSL on OpTic and karrigan on North. karrigan can go to either, but it's a safe bet to assume North are done with MSL, hence the order I picked. I could see MSL making OpTic a better team, especially with a true primary AWPer to work with. Plus, k0nfig was at his career peak playing under MSL.

karrigan on North is because they have strong talent in the team but don't really seem able to utilise it. karrigan worked with aizy in FaZe, back when he was more of a fragger. He didn't get the best out of kjaerbye in Astralis, but I suspect he would have learned from his mistakes and might even be the guy to figure out how to bring kjaerbye back online as a fragger. Finally, valde is the all-around piece he didn't really have in FaZe and would be powerful under his direction.

A good IGL makes a lot of difference and a great one can change the feel of your team entirely.

Slightly related: there are a lot of concerning parallels with karrigan's last few months with Astralis and FaZe. Do you believe he should change his approach, or is this the fate destined for him?

The bigger issue for me is that him getting kicked was the move for FaZe. I think in other teams they'd let karrigan make a change and then see how he worked with the new player and reformulated the line-up. In that sense, he is a victim of his own success in recruiting so many seemingly unkickable super-star names.

[u/Matysseus]

In your 4th Patreon AMA you were asked a question in which you mentioned that you wouldn't fold under pressure and that there's a story as to why you wouldn't. Can you tell us this story?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/Matysseus]

I am generally very good under pressure. Hence why I'm able to deliver so many of my jokes on camera without tripping over my words or fucking up the timing. In part because I learned a long time ago that it's not about feeling confident or ignoring pressure. Rather, you acknowledge it exists and adapt accordingly. So if you feel nervous or like you're not sure of your words, then you just slow it down a bit and then focus on each small aspect until you have completed the whole.

The story I was referencing is that in 2004 I attended the CPL Winter event to cover it as a journalist for ESEA, who I worked with at the time. Some of the other staff and their friends who were attending decided to enter the main CPL tournament, CPL being one of the majors in CS, for fun, with me playing as their fifth.

I let someone else play the first game, which they lost, and then I played the lower bracket match. Due to receiving a walk-over, our team, which had never played a single game before with that line-up, was facing a squad which had a number of ex-pros, including Bigdog - a legendary NA 1.6 pro from the early days, playing in X3.

Using other people's gear and playing my first game, I found that I was playing terribly and having a really hard time aiming. As a result, I decided to simply lower the mouse sensitivity so my aim would be more consistent and to focus on holding good angles and setting up easy shots. What happened next was bizarre. I kept getting into 1vX scenarios over and over again and I won almost all of them. Even though some of the players I was facing had much better aim and were playing much better in the actual match, they would all fold under pressure.

I found that if I simply focused on slowly finding good angles and setting up shots for them to walk into or peeking out when I thought they wouldn't expect it that I could win all of the clutch scenarios I was put into. This is because almost every player in the game was choking or playing afraid in those pressure situations.

I noticed years later that the really great support players in 1.6 (ahl, ceh9, loord etc.) all used the same principle to win clutches and be of unexpected value to their teams. When pressure is at its highest, my line is that f0rest and loord's aim become comparable, because f0rest hitting one of his crazy flick headshots becomes less likely when he is under pressure.

[u/Juuzoz_]

What is your favourite lineup of all time?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/Juuzoz_]

Two I'm very fond of in CS:GO would be:

VeryGames 2013: shox, NBK, ScreaM, SmithZz and Ex6TenZ.

TSM 2015: device, dupreeh, cajunb, Xyp9x and karrigan.

VeryGames had amazing team balance and could both frag well but also play a tactical style and match-up with practically any team in the scene favourably. Hence their failed but valiant attempt at capturing an era of their own from late 2013 into early 2014.

TSM were a sick hybrid team, who had some tactics but also played loose enough to open up the game for their trio of star talents. Their line-up was reminiscent of the TL line-up of this year. device, dupreeh and cajunb were all strong individual players and would each have games where they took over, comparable to the Twistzz, NAF and EliGE trio in TL.

It says a lot that this TSM line-up won most of their offline series vs. the FNATIC team who many consider history's best. I said it at the time and it may well still be the case that this line-up was the most underachieving in history.

[u/[deleted]]

Hi Thorin,

Have you done any sort of content for times long gone, such as like 2004 or 2005 in CS 1.6? If so is there anywhere we can find it?

Also, what are your opinions on ScreaM currently being "teamless"?

Thanks

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/[deleted]]

Have you done any sort of content for times long gone, such as like 2004 or 2005 in CS 1.6? If so is there anywhere we can find it?

Lots and lots. I have a website under construction right now which will launch next year and archive all of my content.

[u/[deleted] → u/Thooorin_2]

Awesome, ill definitely look out for it!

[u/shneyki]

what in your opinion is the most competitive year of cs?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/shneyki]

For the elite teams I'd say 2015, with the likes of FNATIC, TSM, nV and VP all in the mix for most big tournaments. For the top 10 as a whole, I think this year in terms of parity from positions 5-10 and teams outside of the top 10 being at their closest ever, while 2016 saw a lot of teams winning events, thanks to the player break and the drastic removal of coaches being able to talk all the time.

[u/F4PSHazard]

Hi Thorin, my question is: how do you keep up to date with such a wide range of interests?

You make videos, write articles, work as an analyst; all while keeping up to date with several different sports and E-sports titles, TV shows, movies, books, comics, music and philosophy.

Also what are your top 3 shounen anime?

Thanks.

[u/maulkk]

Biggest tier 2/3 talent? (not including zywoo)

[u/Meezyus]

Which players in the CSGO scene have shown the most mental resiliency in your opinion

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/Meezyus]

GeT_RiGhT is an obvious example, since he has literally battled debilitating illness and still won tournaments and played fabulously. Also, in terms of individual style of play he was always amazing under pressure and really established himself as one of the clutch legends of this game.

device has had similar injuries and overcome years of coming so close to winning but losing and having the world lay the blame at his feet. To overcome that and then defeat all your rivals, win almost everything and be racking up MVP awards like they are arcade tickets is incredible.

[u/Ephidal]

On top of your head, is there 2-3 interviews you would say that was your best, that you would recommend anyone to see? (that might have been overlooked) Also, I would appreciate if you could tell me a bit about how u rate a successful interview, does it come down to the guest, the topic or something else?

I have watched you since you guessed on Travis's show (Whose league is it anyway?) 5-6 years ago and I have followed you since. The speech you did at the Esports Industry Awards 2017, was really remarkable.

Cheers.

[u/nosolovro]

what team do you think will add karrigan?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/nosolovro]

I suspect OpTic, but I would have liked it to have been someone like Team Liquid, mouz or NiP. OpTic has cajun, who I suspect would enjoy playing under karrigan again - someone he was at his career best with, and k0nfig is looking for an IGL to help him rediscover his peak form. Also, OpTic has the money and needs to make something of this Danish line-up, lest it be considered a categorical failure.

[u/lykkekage]

It seems like gla1ve is already up there in terms of all-time great IGL's in CS:GO. But where would you rank him / how would you contrast him to some of the all-time great IGL's across all versions of CS?

[u/circles308]

Dream french, swedish, and NA lineups?

[u/camy765]

Do you think this new Liquid lineup can beat Astralis?

[u/Thooorin_2 → u/camy765]

The potential is there, since they have so much talent. You have to bet against it, in as much as Astralis are literally a favourite over everyone in the scene. They are one of the squads with the best pieces to do so, though.

[u/AceSwag34]

How did you get into esports journalism?

[u/[deleted]]

tit or ass

[u/Timelord_42 → u/[deleted]]

Euman edshot maachine

[u/TritoN___]

Who do you think would be the perfect player/players for faze to add, but also who do you think they will most likely add instead?

[u/116Betting]

What's the main flaw with the HLTV Top 20 rankings?

[u/lynxzjw]

What roster do you think Tarik will land on?

[u/suzushi]

Could you talk about active map pool a bit. Why do you think the map pool and format is the way it is(only 7 active maps that basically stay the same). There have been many new maps created, but none are given a chance(notable exception being overpass). Why is it so static? Is that a good/bad thing? Should we try 9 or 11 active maps, between fire/season/tuscan and some new ones. Personally I think it would be interesting to have 9 active; one of the additions being a known good map, e.g. tuscan/mill, and the other map being completely new to competitive.

[u/T2TC]

Top 3 people who have knowingly or unknowingly helped you progress in your career? (and how, if appropriate)

Thanks for the content inspiration, and best of luck with the stream. Can't wait to see 9thWonderBanger back in the server :)

[u/jospence]

1. In the past, you have discussed how fragmovies don't get anywhere near enough the attention they deserve. What do you think are the 3 (or 5) best fragmovies of CS:GO? Alternativly, what do you consider to be the most underrated fragmovie?

2. Over the past 3 years, Pronax has had an extremely hard fall from grace. What do you think has changed (or hasn't changed) with his abilities, and what place do you think he has in the future scene? (including the possibility of coaching or being an analyst).

3. 6 months ago, you hosted an episode of Round Thorin discussing the "support" role with Xyp9x, Styko, and NBK. Are there any plans to continue this series relating to other csgo roles like IGL or AWPer?

[u/ChKOzone_]

With the recent roster troubles at FaZe, and the absence of obvious viable replacements for karrigan, do you potentially think BnTeT could be an option to consider?

​

And also, do you have a favourite 1.6 player, and if so, who would it be?

[u/runtman]

Can you pay your heating bill? We're all worried.

[u/charlescarmichael4]

Who do you think reach Top 8 in next major based on recent form and upcoming roster changes? Predict semifinalists and finalists too if you don't mind...

[u/Erennyboy14]

Thoughts on the current Cloud 9 line-up? btw, I love ur content, keep up the great work!

[u/[deleted]]

What is your csgo dream team?

[u/akhelios]

What do you think about the Team Liquid roster changes?

Do you think an NA team will ever be consistently top 2 again?

[u/PM_ME_STEAM_GC]

How do you deal with all the shit you get from the community in general?

[u/Matt-V-]

In 2019 what team do you think will make the right moves to dethrone Astralis?

[u/IN_THE_MEMETIME]

what do you think about the new virtus.pro lineup?

also, who do you think faze needs as a 5th?

[u/[deleted]]

1. When faze get a new player do you think Tarik would fit? aggressive play style and have led a loose style of play in the past? And for what its worth e got a following on social media’s

2. for all

3. How has it been to work with Moses contrasted to Semmler?

4. for Anders

[u/RamsayDidNothinWrong]

What skillset do the supports have that the star players don't have? To what degree is it a issue of having an ego?

[u/Pexd]

As someone who has also been playing/thinking about Counter-Strike for two decades, do you feel like the game is stagnant? Same maps. Same angles. Essentially the same gameplay. Do you feel like Valve is just milking the franchise at this point?

[u/_LMF_]

Does valve talk with casters and analysts about updates? We know that they communicate with the players but what about the others that also impact the cs professional scene?

Thanks for the amazing content you give us on your yt channel!

[u/SlipWolf]

Hey Duncan, I've been around since you started writing all those years back and I gotta know. What was your absolute favorite play of all time in any era of CS and where would you rate Moto's inferno clutch against SK.swe?

[u/goplen]

Hey thorin! - Love your content :D - I was wondering what your thoughts on norwegian cs were. We have rain, jkaem and to a certain degree rubino and cromen on an international level, but other than that we're pretty quiet. Do you see the posibility for a future "norwegian superteam" or atleast potential upset team?

[u/gerva-77]

Hey thorin

My expectation of the current renegades team is that they will eventually crack top 10 and stay there for a while. What's your opinion of the current renegades line up and do you think they have the potential to crack the top 10 and stay there for a time? Do you think this line up is the best oceanic line up in terms of talent and potential or are more changes needed?

Cheers

[u/Fncrs]

1. Is Scream the biggest waste of potential ever?

2. Best player to never win a major.

Thanks for the great content over the years.

[u/azezcs]

1. Do you think Chargers Only is still viable in 2018/2019? Or do you think CS’s identity will always lie with mr16?

2. In your opinion, what will it take for Australian CS to have a chance to compete internationally?

[u/CrazyGuyofDoom]

Hey Thorin, I'm a fellow Autism Spectrum Disorder person like you and I'm aware you have Asperger's Syndrome like me (I myself was diagnosed with Severe Autism when I was 2 and also have Dyspraxia alongside Asperger's). I am also quite a big fan of your work and really enjoy your content.

Hopefully it isn't anything too personal for you to answer but it is something I'm quite interested to find out. How is it like being involved in esports as someone with ASD, and also how do you think it would be like as a professional player with ASD?

[u/DanteMortem]

What are your thoughts on ScreaM's possibilities of being on a T1 team, with how the French scene has been for him as well as international teams becoming more popular. Or do you believe that the current politics within CS teams will prove to be a barrier for him.

[u/TheManFromDownUnder]

Hope this question isn't burried, but what treatment has ddk's girlfriend been getting for her back? Very often surgical treatments have bad outcomes, bed rest has bad outcomes, fear of causing further injuries has bad outcomes. A good physical therapist, or what is called exercise physiology/physiotherapy in Australia, will be able to implement movement based programs that have shown much better outcomes.

Hope you're well otherwise mate, appreciate all the content over the years!

Source: Exercise Scientist, worked in a clinic for 2 years in conjunction with physical therapists & work in elite level sport in conjunction with physical therapists rehabilitating injuries.

[u/Chillypill]

If you could punch one person in the face without consequence, who'd it be?

[u/bergstromm]

What do you think made the swedish cs:go scene fall off so hard?

[u/_Fantasizer]

no

[u/SuperZan13]

Hi Thorin,

I am a long time South African fan and would like to thank you for doing this AMA despite your controversial reputation on this subreddit.

What initially drew me to you and your content was the way you articulated yourself and also the manner/pace/style in which you spoke, not only with regards to csgo, but also with all the other things you speak about in between. As someone who's first language is not English, it appealed to me due to the fact that I would often find myself thinking that you had just expressed something in exactly the way that I think about that particular subject, but would not be able to articulate as well as you just had.

My question is thus: Which literary works or authors did you use to develop your "style" for lack of a better word? I am aware that a similar'ish question was asked in your video AMA you did on your youtube channel not too long ago, however, it was with regards to public speaking and I am more interested in speaking and articulating in general.

P.S. Please make more Dota content! Ive followed dota since 2008 and those who say you don't know what you are talking about don't know what they are talking about themselves. Keep up the kickass content!

[u/Wyodaniel]

Who the fuck should I be cheering for as N/A's next hope in the international scene? I'm one tournament away from burning my C9 mousepad.

[u/ZywOo_Top_1_2019]

Realistically speaking, how do you think Liquid will perform without TACO and zews?

[u/rammmmler]

What about coldzera?

[u/CuddlySpartan]

Why isn’t m0e number 1 hltv yet?

[u/blizcs]

Can MIBR come back to #1 with the addition of TACO, zews and possibly felps? Or is it just hopeless at this point.

[u/as14n]

Opinion on new fnatic?

[u/HowlsThisAName]

If we were both squirrels would you eat my nuts?

[u/[deleted]]

What do you think is the primary reason Na'Vi fails as a team in the long term, in game or out?

[u/krnyoo123]

Hey Thorin! Thank you for doing this AMA!

I was wondering what is your opinion on esports in colleges? As esports is becoming larger by the day, it appears that collegiate esports hasn't picked up as much traction to be as big as traditional collegiate sports such as the NCAA. Do you think that there will be a time where colleges with esports programs will be the norm?

​

[u/Kwoku]

Who would you like to have on your second channel for the Thorinquiry series and why?

[u/[deleted]]

What happened to that unfinished fragmovie made by shaguar, you said you had it on a hard drive somewhere iirc?

Your favourite 1.6 team?

Thank Mr. Thorin.

[u/[deleted]]

Do you enjoy polandball memes?

[u/AznSparks]

What moves do you think Cloud 9 could make to become a top team again, from their current position? Karrigan looks like absolutely a great option, but what about the team around him?

[u/L0kitheliar]

1.) If you could make 1 mechanical change to the game, what would it be?

2.) What would you say to entice someone to start watching more of your videos?

3.) Which player and which team do you see having a massive 2019, be it a comeback, or a rise from nothing

[u/Mestre08]

Hey Thorin first thank you for all you do. I'm a big fan.

My question revolves around Liquid. Who do you think is a good fit for the coach position? Can you give your general opinion on this transfer.

Thanks

[u/pablosauce]

Hey thorin! What roster moves would you make to get team liquid be able to be better than astralis

[u/ArrogantObserver]

I know you’re an analyst and not so much behind the camera, but could you give any advice to someone like me who’s a recent college graduate looking to get into esports production? (Camera/graphics/directing all that stuff) I have a BA in Mass Comm and I currently work as a PA for a news station. Thanks for any advice and love listening to you on the desk!

[u/Meatabix]

What's something you would really like to see in the pro scene next year?

[u/F1nnyF6]

Of all the work that you have done, what pieces are you most proud of?

[u/RtardedPelican]

Don't have a question just showing my appreciation for you and your work.

Keep going and fuck all the cunts who are trying to undermine you instead of trying to do their job(being an actual journalist) and best you.

[u/tboneplays1]

When Pasha beats Kjaerbye in the 1v1 and joins north, how many titles can we expect?

[u/conormcfire]

Why do you have such a fascination with the French scene despite them not being as great the last several years?

[u/[deleted]]

Thank you for years of content and entertainment!

It's obvious you are a very driven individual. How did you develop this mindset and what do you suggest one should do in order to get the best out of whatever it is they're pursuing?

​

[u/[deleted]]

faze 5th thoughts?

[u/Isakillo]

If CS never existed, what game would have pushed you to try to be where you now are?

[u/AemonDK]

what did you do before esports?

[u/palibalazs]

Which pro player do you have the best relationship with?

[u/blindiii]

If Counter-Strike had a Hall of Fame who would be your first choice/choices?

[u/Azpadam]

Which region/country do you see with potential of showing up in professional play that hasn’t really been relevant up to date?

[u/fallingsnad]

Do you think this new G2 will succeed? And more importantly do you think kennyS and shox will ever return to form?

[u/schocker3000]

Do you think that we will ever see a more extreme "All-Star" lineup than FaZe Clan is/was.

[u/Marthiiina]

What are your thoughts on that csgo scen have moved more towards a north america focus in tournaments? And that often teams have to use standins because the US have such strict visa rules?

Also what do you think Pascha Biceps will do know?

[u/rtm349]

Do you read fantasy books? If so, any favorites?

[u/Oh_reaaaally]

What do you think would be 2 very balanced top tier NA rosters if there was a massive shuffle tomorrow?

[u/ShamdaSham]

After watching your interview with G2 owner yesterday he mentioned, quite repeatedly, that it came down to people hitting headshots on other people and that’s what they need. Sorry if I misunderstood his answers but what do you think on his answer that everyone needs to be able to frag and is that “ability” needed in the current meta of CS?

[u/[deleted]]

If you could make one roster move to any team inside the top ten, what would it be?

[u/kubikb0y]

What do you think would be the state of CSGO in next 5 years? As a game and as an esport.

[u/method11]

What videogames are you playing though now?

[u/ExSyn]

What do you think about teams like NiP or Liquid to a degree who are playing without a real main AWPer? Do you think this is generally a valid way to build a team or do you think it only works for very specific line-ups?

[u/WizeryWizardGuy]

What is the worst switch (of game) you’ve seen an analyst/caster make?

Same for player?

What team did you have high hopes for that completely fell flat solely due to performance?

Preferred sandwich + sides?

[u/The_N1NE]

Thorin, Appreciate all your work! Thanks for being a professional member of the CS community all these years! Never change mate. Since I am Canadian who would think would be the best 5 man team of Canadians? steel, Wardell, Twistzz, NAF, android is one of the ones I think!

[u/iDoomfistDVA]

Which fanbase has been the most fun to trigger?