Thorin makes surprise appearance at StarLadder Berlin CSGO Major with classic banter

Albert Petrosyan

British esports journalist Duncan ‘Thorin’ Shields and his classic sense of humor made an unexpected appearance at StarLadder’s CSGO Berlin Major 2019.

When it comes to CSGO, there are few with more knowledge and analytical experience than Thorin, one of the most respected journalists in esports.

However, he hadn’t been seen on the analysts’ desk at a Major tournament in quite some time, so it was a very pleasant surprise to see him make an appearance at the currently ongoing Berlin Major. 

For those who had been paying attention to Thorin’s social media, his appearance wasn’t really that much of a surprise, considering he had dropped some clues and hints beforehand.

However, many who were watching the competition on August 28 got a slight shock seeing the legendary journalist slide his way onto the main broadcast. 

Esports Awards winner Thorin is one of the most respected journalists for CSGO.

In his own classic style, Thorin kicked off his appearance with a very eventful entrance, jokingly forcing a substitution on the main broadcast desk so that he could step in.

“Listen, we had to bring a little bit professionalism back to the stream,” he said, tongue in cheek. “You guys have been too loose, there’s too much banter flying around. And also, eastern Europeans love me, what can I say?”

The banter did not end there, not that it was expected to, as Thorin went on to give some insight as to why he hasn’t been seen at any Majors recently.

Not missing out on the chance to throw some jabs at the other analysts, he jokingly suggested his breaks are to give others a chance to shine in front of the camera, since they won’t be playing professionally again anyway.

“What I like to do is, every couple of years, I take a few years off the Majors, let some other guys give it a go,” he explained. “Let Pimp have a go, he’s never going to be a player again. I let Sean Gares go again, same thing obviously. Now I’m back, so let’s do this.”

All that said, Thorin being a part of the broadcast talent will be a huge boost for StarLadder and CSGO esports, since the veteran analyst always lights up the room with his comedic approach and knowledge-base that’s second-to-none. 

You can watch him and follow along with all of the action via our dedicated Berlin Major 2019 hub