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Duncan "Thorin" Shields is a British esports journalist. He is primarily known for his work in CS: GO as an analyst, caster, and content creator.
The self-proclaimed Esports historian is one of the most controversial figures in Counter-Strike. He was a Counter-Strike analyst long before the advent of CS: GO. The community has a polarizing reaction to him, but even his biggest doubters won't deny his immense knowledge.
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Thorin releases his very own CS: GO rankings every month. The community mostly sees his rankings as one of the most important CS: GO team rankings after HLTV.org's rankings.
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Thorin's CS: GO rankings for May 2021
Unlike HLTV, Thorin's rankings aren't just numbers. He divides his top ten into three categories.
The B-Class teams (Ranked 7-10) are teams that are just below the top teams. The A-Class teams (Ranked 4-6) are the top teams that aren't quite in Championship contention. The S-Class teams (Ranked 1-3) are the best in the world.
The time span for Thorin's rankings is the preceding three months. Thus, the performance of each team between 12th February 2021 and 12th May 2021 was taken into consideration by him.
10. Complexity Gaming
Complexity has had a rough time in the last few months. After losing Obo, the team has failed to live up to their potential. However, they managed an impressive finish in ESL Pro League Season 13.
They defeated Na'Vi and Virtus Pro before falling to Ninjas in Pyjamas. The team found themselves last in Thorin's CS: GO rankings owing to their poor performances in the last 3 months.
Complexity are also 10th in HLTV's world rankings.
9. Team Spirit
Team Spirit shocked the CS: GO world when they finished 3rd-4th at the IEM Season XV World Championship. They managed a shocking upset victory over Astralis at the tournament.
They had a similar showing at BLAST: Spring Showdown 2021 and the Pinnacle Cup. However, they bombed out of Dreamhack Masters Spring 2021 at 9th-12th. They won the Winstrike CIS Cup Spring 2021 and edged out Complexity in Thorin's CS: GO rankings.
Spirit are 12th in HLTV's world rankings.
8. Team Liquid
Team Liquid are the only North American representative on Thorin's list. The team looked set to regain their old form after signing Fallen from MiBR. But the team's performances didn't improve. They recently let go of their coach Moses and brought back their old coach, Adren.
They managed impressive 3rd-4th finishes at the IEM Season XV World Championship and Dreamhack Open March 2021: North America. But they had disappointing results in BLAST: Spring Showdown and ESL Pro League Season 13. As a result, they sit 8th in Thorin's CS: GO rankings.
Liquid are 9th in HLTV's world rankings.
7. Astralis
Astralis has had a turbulent few months. Their star player, Device, left the team and joined NiP. The team has had a very poor 2021 thus far. They failed to win a single tournament in over 4 months. The last time Astralis had a trophy-less spell this long was back in March-September 2019.
They finished 5th-6th in both ESL Pro League Season 13 and IEM Season XV World Championship. They had a disappointing group-stage exit at the BLAST: Spring Showdown as well. Losing a player and poor results have put Astralis at 7th in Thorin's CS: GO rankings.
Astralis are 4th in HLTV's world rankings.
6. Furia
Furia are the best Brazilian team in CS: GO. They dominated the NA scene during the online era but have failed to do so in Europe. They have had a rough few months but still remain the best non-European team in the world.
They had impressive 3rd-4th finishes at ESL Pro League Season 13 and Spring Sweet Spring #1. However, they had disappointing performances at the IEM Season XV World Championship and BLAST: Spring Showdown. A mixed bag of results put Furia as the lowest-ranked A-Class team in Thorin's CS: GO rankings.
Furia are also 6th in HLTV's world rankings.
Also Read: 5 biggest CS: GO roster changes in 2021
5. G2 Esports
After signing Niko from Faze, G2 are yet to find their feet in CS: GO. They have looked promising, but have failed to deliver in crucial matches.
They finished 7th-8th in both ESL Pro League Season 13 and IEM Season XV World Championship. They finished 3rd-4th at the Dreamhack Masters Spring 2021 and won the BLAST: Spring Showdown. The victory sealed their place in the top 5 of Thorin's CS: GO rankings.
G2 are also 5th in HLTV's world rankings.
4. Virtus Pro
Virtus Pro was one of the best teams in the world in the second half of 2020. However, their performances declined in 2021, and the team hasn't looked the same since January.
They finished 7th-8th at ESL Pro League Season 13, Dreamhack Masters Spring 2021, and Funspark ULTI 2020. However, the team managed a 2nd place finish at the IEM Season XV World Championship. These finishes kept them just short of the S-Class in Thorin's CS: GO rankings.
Virtus Pro are 7th in HLTV's world rankings.
3. Heroic
Since acquiring Refrezh and Sjuush, Heroic have turned over a new leaf. The team has looked much stronger. With Hunden returning as their coach after his ESIC ban expired, their results can only improve.
Heroic had a disappointing 9th-12th finish at the IEM Season XV World Championship. However, they won ESL Pro League Season 13 and finished 3rd-4th at the Dreamhack Masters Spring 2021. These finishes earned them the S-Class in Thorin's CS: GO rankings.
Their grand final victory over Gambit in ESL Pro League Season 13 will go down in history, thanks to their in-game leader, Cadian's insane 1v4 clutch in the last round of the series.
Heroic are also 3rd in HLTV's world rankings.
2. Na'Vi
After promoting youth team player B1t to the main team, Na'vi have looked unstoppable. Initially, B1t was used as a substitute. But Na'vi benched Flamie and began using B1t regularly and have looked unbeatable since then.
Na'vi had disappointing runs in ESL Pro League Season 13 and IEM Season XV World Championship. But they won their BLAST: Spring Group and the Dreamhack Masters Spring 2021 tournament. These victories were enough for Na'vi to be named the 2nd best team in Thorin's CS: GO rankings.
Na'vi are also 2nd in HLTV's world rankings.
1. Gambit Esports
Gambit's long-standing line-up has been one of the best teams in CS: GO for a while now. Their team has remained unchanged since July 2020. Their patience has been rewarded as the team has won numerous tournaments in 2021.
Gambit finished 2nd in ESL Pro League Season 13 and Dreamhack Masters Spring 2021. The team went on to win the IEM Season XV World Championship and the Pinnacle Cup. They also won their group at BLAST: Spring Groups. Their blistering form earned them the top spot in Thorin's CS: GO rankings.
Gambit are also 1st in HLTV's world rankings.
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