Thorin: “I still believe that Team Vitality will remain the number one team.”
Analyst Duncan “Thorin” Shields shared his thoughts on Team Falcons’ victory at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 in the latest episode of the Counter-Points podcast, explained why he doesn’t expect the team to repeat that performance, and assessed the team’s prospects after winning the title.
On the Falcons’ performance at the IEM Cologne Major 2026
It wasn’t just the toughest path to the title—in my opinion, it was the best run at a Major I’ve ever seen. Almost every match was like a movie. There were practically no bad games. The funny thing is that the final itself turned out to be the closest thing to a bad game. And I think that happened because, unfortunately, the pressure of the moment got to some of the FURIA players. It seems to me they underperformed. Even those who are usually completely reliable. Take KSCERATO, for example—he just couldn’t get into the game at all. He had a truly nightmarish match. But aside from that, in almost every other match, all the teams in the tournament gave the Falcons a run for their money.
On kyousuke and TeSeS’s outstanding form
In the playoffs, kyousuke had the highest rating of any player. His rating was 1.3. And it’s clear that he racked up a huge portion of that on the offensive side. It’s impossible to replicate those numbers at every tournament. Because if they manage to do it—well, that would make them the greatest team in Counter-Strike history; they’d usher in an era of dominance and win every tournament. Moving on. If you tell me, “Well, m0NESY will keep performing like this all the time”—okay, that’s possible. We’ve seen this happen before with kyxsan. But TeSeS’s performance was simply out of this world. And, again, I don’t know if this can continue match after match.
On NiKo’s role in the Falcons’ victory
For most of the tournament, NiKo played fairly averagely. But then, in the semifinals and finals, he just exploded. Let me give you the numbers. In the semifinals against Team Spirit, he had a rating of 1.26. And in the finals, he was probably the best player overall—with a rating of 1.43. And this is especially important because NiKo isn’t playing his old roles anymore. This is really cool for NiKo’s own legacy. Because I’ve been telling people all along: I’m worried that he’ll win a Major with the Falcons, but he’ll do it as if… Imagine a legendary soccer player. Let’s say Kevin De Bruyne transfers to Real Madrid next season, sits on the bench, and wins the Champions League. That’s not the same as saying, “Hey, I won two Champions Leagues.” Actually, no. You’ve truly won one, and the second one you just received while playing somewhere else. In the debate over greatness, you can’t fully count the second one toward your record. But NiKo can count that title entirely as his own. He played absolutely amazing in the semifinals and finals.
On the Falcons’ chances after the Major
It’s not fair to say that everything has changed now. If I’m going to spoil my own predictions, I still believe that Team Vitality will remain the number one team. What’s more, I think that Team Spirit, once they find a real coach, could become even stronger. But the good news is that the Falcons are now truly among the contenders. And at the very least, we now understand what this team is capable of.
Earlier on the Counter-Points podcast, analyst Jacob “Pimp” Vinneche discussed Team Falcons’ championship win at the IEM Cologne Major 2026, highlighted Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s impact on the team’s performance, and shared his predictions for their performance through the end of 2026.
Photo by Petri Leppävuori.
