Staple members of Counter-Strike's on-air broadcast talent are rumored to not be attending the StarLadder Major coming up in Berlin next month. Per a report from Jarek "DeKay" Lewis, the event will go on without Anders Blume, Jason "moses" O'Toole, or Duncan "Thorin" Shields on the talent lineup. This would mark the second Major in a row that Anders has missed, and the first for moses since 2015.
The thought of experiencing another Major without the voice of Anders Blume to guide us through has left a sour taste in many CS:GO fans' mouths. Often labeled as "the voice of Counter-Strike," the Danish caster has been a mainstay for any top-tier tournament broadcast since the game's inception. He has commentated at every Major except for EMS One Katowice in 2014 and the previous Major, IEM Katowice 2019. Being left out in Berlin would mark the first time that he has ever been absent at two Majors in a row.
Another regular talent member thought to be missing from the lineup is Anders's casting partner, Jason "moses" O'Toole. The American commentator has made quite the name for himself over the last few years, bringing nothing short of brilliance to every broadcast he's a part of. Anders and moses are usually involved in top-tier broadcasts, including last weekend's IEM Chicago, where they casted the grand final together. Moses is often complimented for the way he stepped up after Anders's previous casting partner Auguste "Semmler" Massonnat stepped away from Counter-Strike in favor of Overwatch. It is unclear if this pairing will be left out of Berlin in favor of another duo, or if other established casting pairs will pick up the slack.
When we think about staple broadcast talent in CS:GO, the name Duncan "Thorin" Shields will always come to mind. Though he hasn't been involved in as many tournaments in recent years, he was an integral part of any broadcast in the early years of Global Offensive. StarLadder has been quick to include him in their tournaments, most recently at StarSeries & i-League Season 7 in Shanghai, China last April. Because of this, many fans expected to see Thorin on the analyst desk at the Berlin Major. Thorin has not attended a CS:GO Major since Eleague Atlanta in 2017. Unfortunately, it seems we won't be seeing him at this one either.
Viewers can expect to see other common talent members on-air in Berlin, but these three most likely won't be attending. StarLadder's Major is set to begin with the New Challengers Stage in late August.