In the latest YouTube video, renowned analyst Thorin discussed the current personnel structure issues within the Falcons team, expressing the viewpoint that "even if Big Brother’s personal performance stats are poor, as long as he can keep kyousuke continuing to get kills."
Thorin: You can't judge Falcons by their current form; as long as they make it to the next match, they can defeat any opponent.
Thorin believes that external evaluations of Falcons consistently oscillate between two extremes: after narrowly losing to LVG, people immediately began to doubt them; yet after winning the Major, the same individuals now believe they will become the next dominant team. Both judgments overlook the true characteristics of this Falcons roster.
Falcons demonstrated an extremely high ceiling by defeating NAVI, Vitality, Spirit, and FURIA consecutively at the Major. However, that championship run involved several tough matches and some players performing beyond their usual standards, so one cannot expect them to replicate the same performance in every tournament.
As communication, role assignments, and tactical systems continue to gel, Falcons will improve, but they won’t become the kind of stable, dominant force like the 2018 Astralis or peak Vitality. They’re more like the 2023-era G2: capable of winning any tournament, but also liable to fall short in the playoffs or even exit early on occasion.Thorin：karrigan is the system itself for Falcons.
karrigan's individual statistics are Falcons' most obvious weakness. His average kills per map during his tenure with this roster are only around 0.44, far below the majority of top in-game leaders. However, if Falcons want to retain his on-the-fly reading, mid-to-late game calling, and bold decision-making in crucial matches, they must accept his firepower deficit.
Making karrigan transition to a coach wouldn't fully preserve his value because many crucial tasks can only be performed by the in-game leader on the server. He would voluntarily sacrifice positioning, gather information, and create space for his teammates. While kyousuke or m0NESY might end up with the kills on the stat sheet, some of that impact actually originates from karrigan.
Thorin: m0NESY and kyousuke are enough to compensate for karrigan's firepower.
m0NESY is the most consistent superstar in this system. He has maintained a rating of approximately 1.30 across the 63 LAN maps played with this roster and is already a top-tier player globally. At the same time, he doesn't require the team to center every round around the AWP; he can make an impact using rifles, the Desert Eagle, and the Scout as well.
kyousuke is the biggest beneficiary after karrigan's joining. In the past, kyousuke was sometimes too conservative and at other times would take risks without any setup, but karrigan can tell him when to engage and when to follow up to finish kills.
In the elimination matches that this lineup participated in, kyousuke achieved a rating of approximately 1.25, with his offensive side even reaching around 1.31. He is no longer just an occasional explosive X-factor, but has become the consistent secondary core of the Falcons.
Thorin: NiKo doesn't need to be the MVP anymore.
Since kyousuke occupies a role that NiKo used to be more familiar with, NiKo now serves more as Falcons' third core and X-factor. He won't consistently put up superstar-level numbers, but can still occasionally take over a series.
Falcons don't need NiKo to continue competing for MVP. He just needs to raise his performance floor, adapt to new responsibilities, and reduce slumps in crucial matches. Ideally, m0NESY aims for MVP contention while kyousuke emerges as another candidate through playoff performances.
TeSeS was also not in the most ideal role, but his overall performance was sufficient to keep the lineup running. He doesn't need to replicate those rare highlights from the Major period; as long as he reduces major mistakes and consistently completes his own tasks, he won't become the reason the team fails to win.
Thorin：The key to judging Falcons is not their form, but whether they have won
Falcons' firepower structure and roster roles make them inherently more volatile than other top teams. m0NESY is extremely reliable, kyousuke is emerging as a consistent star, but NiKo can experience fluctuations, TeSeS has off maps, and karrigan maintains a notably low kill count over time.
Therefore, one cannot judge Falcons' prospects based solely on whether they play beautifully in a particular game. Even if they perform poorly, as they did against LVG, as long as they ultimately win the match and advance to the next round, they will have the opportunity to reach their high ceiling again the following day.
Falcons demonstrated this in their match against Legacy during the tournament. They secured a dominating victory on Legacy's chosen map, Mirage, suffered a narrow defeat on their own map, Ancient, and then easily won the decider map, Dust2. Legacy is already a competitive team, but Falcons posed a greater threat as the tournament progressed.
Thorin: Falcons are actually more suited to major tournaments and key matches
The deeper the competition progresses and the greater the pressure becomes, the more evident karrigan's value shines. He possesses extensive experience in major tournaments, is unafraid to make high-risk, tailored decisions at critical moments, and can persuade his teammates to execute these strategies.
When facing stronger, more methodically disciplined opponents, karrigan actually finds it easier to read their strategies and counter them. Other teams might become conservative, lose their nerve, or make poor decisions under pressure, but karrigan thrives in such uncomfortable competitive environments and actively redirects that pressure back onto his opponents.
After karrigan joined Falcons, they won eight out of nine overtime matches. Previously, they had also won 15 out of 20 picked maps. Compared to the Falcons of the past, who often crumbled at the end of matches, the new lineup has significantly improved their ability to handle crucial rounds and key matches.
Thorin: Falcons win approximately once every four events.
Thorin predicts that Falcons will likely win about one out of every four tournaments. If the event features a major stage with live audiences, their winning frequency could even approach one in three.
Moreover, they tend to reach the semifinals or finals about every two tournaments, but may also experience a group-stage exit or an early elimination in the playoffs roughly every four tournaments. This fluctuation does not indicate a flawed roster but is rather determined by their firepower structure, role allocation, and playstyle.
Falcons won't be a dominant team that consistently sweeps all opponents, but they absolutely cannot be written off from title contention after just one or two poor performances. This is a team with an inconsistent floor but a ceiling high enough to defeat any opponent.
When evaluating the Falcons, the most important question is not "Did they play well today?" but rather "Did they make it to the next game?"