Top 20 players of 2024: donk (1)

[𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟]

In his rookie year at tier-one, donk earns top billing on the top 20 players list thanks to his all-conquering raw numbers and record-breaking peaks.
.
Top 20 players of 2024: Introduction

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets cements his status as one of the greatest rookies in CS history, and matches the feat achieved by Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut in 2019, by earning the top spot on HLTV's top 20 players list in his first full year as a tier-one pro.

Whilst donk's talent for Counter-Strike may be mind-boggling, his origin story is very much a familiar one. He was introduced to 1.6 by his older brother at the tender age of five, and he engaged in the classic younger sibling pastime of peering over his brother's shoulder whilst he played. Eventually, donk's brother started to teach him the game.

donk switched over to CS:GO when his brother bought him the game on Steam, and an obsession quickly took over. "I realized that I was doing well and getting better each day," donk recalls. "I played 12 hours a day, practically without breaks." This grind paid off for the youngster, as he climbed the FACEIT Elo ladder and earned his opportunity to join a real team.
.
"I played and grinded FACEIT a lot," donk states. "I eventually reached 4000 Elo, and went to the hub to meet people and develop." It was through this hub, the CIS FACEIT League, that donk was noticed by Russian insider and Spirit scout Alexey "⁠OverDrive⁠" Birukov.

OverDrive invited donk to play some qualifiers with him, and the young rifler's talent was instantly apparent. "From the first game, it was crystal clear to understand his extremely high potential," OverDrive told HLTV when describing playing those test matches with donk in early 2021. "He was 14-years-old but thinking in-game like he was 20, and his aiming skills were unique."

Whilst most players spend time working their way up through the lower rungs of the professional ladder, playing for lesser teams to build experience and get their name out there, this wasn't the case for donk. Even ZywOo spent time on teams like aAa, bolstering his game time in proper matches before joining Vitality. donk's immense talent, and the opportunity offered by WePlay Academy League, ensured he enjoyed a unique journey to the top.
.
Spirit offered donk a spot on their academy roster, and, at the age of 14, the young Russian took his first steps into the professional scene. Despite his obvious ability and potential, there were faltering steps at first.

donk put up a handful of strong maps in his early days on Spirit Academy, but also plenty of bad maps. His ratings were often in the red and his KDA negative as Spirit Academy struggled to win many maps, even with soon-to-be main team players Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov and Pavel "⁠S1ren⁠" Ogloblin among their ranks. donk was playing against admittedly stiff opposition much of the time, good tier-two sides like ENCE and KOI (then Movistar Riders) to name a few, but he was often struggling even against the lesser teams.

"At first it was hard for me," donk admits when reflecting on his start in Spirit Academy. "I thought that I wasn’t ready for competitive play at that moment. I was upset because I felt that I wasn’t showing the level I’m capable of."
.
Regardless of his overall level in his first official matches, Spirit saw enough in donk to keep him on the academy roster when Patsi and S1ren were promoted to the main team at the end of the year.

donk continued to struggle to stamp his authority on Spirit Academy's games early in 2022, up until what felt like a watershed moment: WePlay Academy League Season 5. donk might not have been the force we have come to expect across the whole tournament, but his efforts in the play-in portion of the event helped carry his team into the playoffs, where they would eventually go on to secure second place.
.
donk's individual form began to trend upwards through the rest of the year, and this carried on into 2023. With increasing regularity, the young phenom was taking over games, putting up the kind of numbers tier-one fans have become used to seeing from him, and by early 2023, he was carrying Spirit Academy to deep runs and titles in CCT Europe Series events.
.
With donk's form truly taking shape and the academy team's growing success, it was only a matter of time before the struggling main team turned to their young stars. Spirit did so in July, bringing donk up to the main team alongside Artem "⁠ArtFr0st⁠" Kharitonov and Myroslav "⁠zont1x⁠" Plakhotia, the core that was the beating heart of the academy team's rapidly growing stature. donk did not get carried away as a result of his promotion, far from it. "Overall, for me, it meant only one thing: that I was going to a higher level, and that I would have to work more than I had worked before," donk simply states.

donk hit the ground running for the main team, racking up insane numbers as they plowed their way through tier-two competition in order to bed in their young talents. They won CCT North Europe Series 6 almost immediately after the academy stars were promoted, and finished second in CCT 2023 Online Finals 2 not long after.

Spirit then turned their sights to LAN competition, winning PARI Dunav Party and taking down Virtus.pro in the process. Still, donk refused to get carried away despite his streak of successes. "I didn't consider it a success," he says when reflecting on the aforementioned tournament victories. "It was just a sign that we were moving in the right direction and getting better."
.
By the end of the year, hype for Spirit and donk reached a fever pitch after they won BetBoom Dacha 2023. Not only was it a LAN event attended by a raft of top 10 and 15 sides, but Spirit won it in dramatic fashion, completing the first-ever BO5 reverse sweep at an international LAN over Virtus.pro. Throughout every modest success Spirit had racked up across 2023, donk had been at the forefront, and he was so once again at BetBoom Dacha. He picked up the MVP medal for his efforts, and the year ended with the entire community holding its breath as it awaited the arrival of donk's iteration of Spirit to tier-one play.

If possible, the anticipation for Spirit's efforts in 2024 were heightened even further in the off-season thanks to the dramatic signing of Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov. Thrice deemed a top 10 player in the world on HLTV's top 20, sh1ro was one of a precious few signings that Spirit could realistically make to improve their team on paper, and despite ArtFr0st performing well in a Spirit jersey, he could not argue with Spirit replacing him when sh1ro was available.

Thus, with the dawn of 2024 came intense curiosity and excitement for Spirit. They had signed one of the best AWPers in the world, sh1ro, to compliment the effervescent young talent of donk, and it was time for the squad to display what they were worth at the tier-one level. Would donk prove to be the revelation he appeared to be, and would Spirit be elevated with the signing of sh1ro?
.
The early signs were a little worrying. Spirit limped through the PGL Major Copenhagen closed qualifier with a loss to KOI and narrow wins over lesser opposition, but a confident 2-0 victory over MOUZ dispelled the worst of the concern.

IEM Katowice was to be Spirit and donk's first real test, their first chance to show what they were made of amongst the elite. It was a test they passed with flying colours, putting together perhaps the most incredible breakout tournament campaign of all time, with donk in utterly irresistible form as Spirit demolished everyone in their path, dropping a single map on their way to the trophy.

Natus Vincere, the third-ranked team in the world, were crushed by a 1.45-rated donk performance. FaZe, second in the world, fell in the group final to an utterly absurd 1.83-rated donk masterclass, with the Russian phenom racking up 120 ADR. He saved the best for last, however, producing a magnificent 124 ADR on his way to a 1.96 rating as he ran over FaZe across three maps in the final, racking up a staggering 82 kills.
.
It was a record-breaking, MVP-winning performance and an outrageously emphatic announcement of donk on the world stage. He equalled the Big Event rating record (1.70) in arguably a more difficult setting and context. He posted 1.11 KPR, 2.10 impact rating, and a whopping 79 multi-kill rounds. It was the single most impressive individual tournament performance of all time, bar none. donk had arrived.

"We came to this tournament without any expectations," donk admits when looking back at IEM Katowice. "We had only one goal — to play our game and get in shape, getting better from match to match. I really liked this whole competitive atmosphere, it’s off the charts at tournaments like this one." In typical fashion, donk refuses to get too excited when discussing his own record-breaking performance. "I don't care. It's nice and cool, of course, but without the team, I wouldn't have been able to give such a performance."
.
The powerful little Russian continued to menace teams as Spirit confidently qualified for PGL Major Copenhagen and BLAST Premier Spring final, topping the scoreboard in nearly every map he played. The tournament everyone was waiting for was up next, CS2's first Major, and all eyes were on donk as he headed to Copenhagen to attempt the unthinkable; win his first-ever Major.

Spirit's Major campaign began perfectly, with the team dominating the Elimination Stage. Not only was donk on fire, the rifler battered Imperial to the tune of 130 ADR and a 2.24 rating, but sh1ro was also in form. Natus Vincere took a map off Spirit in the playoff qualification bout, but were ultimately also swept aside with relative ease.

The stage seemed set for a Spirit Major victory, and for donk to quickly pen another successful chapter in his short biography thus far. Spirit had shown in Katowice that the stage pressure didn't get to them, and FaZe, their quarter-finals opponents, had already been bested by Spirit twice in Poland. Unfortunately for donk and his team, the pressure did seem to get to them in Copenhagen.
.
FaZe turned the screw on the first map of Mirage, and Spirit all seemed out of sorts. donk may have racked up solid ADR and a positive KDA, but he wasn't at his domineering best. He recovered on Nuke to guide Spirit to a decider, dropping a 30-bomb to seal a tight overtime battle. donk continued to perform well on Vertigo, but his teammates dropped the ball; sh1ro was missing all series long, and zont1x crumbled in multiple vital moments with the pressure mounting. His team slipped to defeat in another overtime scrap, and had to settle for a top-eight finish.

Upon reflection, donk feels Spirit were the better team going into that quarter-final. "It's sad that we lost, I think we were stronger as a team overall, and I think the veto was great for us." He admits that it was the psychological aspect of the game that let Spirit down. "Due to nerves, we lost to FaZe and got eliminated from the Major."
.
donk could hardly be faulted for Spirit's somewhat disappointing Major finish. He had certainly dropped off from the superlative level he displayed at Katowice, but that was simply not sustainable. He still produced an unparalleled level of fragging, 0.90 KPR, and was immensely impactful in most of the maps he played. He also racked up his impressive fragging numbers with six of his eight maps coming against the two eventual finalists, Natus Vincere and FaZe. Deservedly, he picked up an EVP mention for his efforts in his first Major appearance.

Across the next two events, Spirit proved they were not the force of dominance that was teased during IEM Katowice. First, the team could only take second-place at the medium-tier BetBoom Dacha Belgrade, being dominated in the grand final by the only other elite squad in attendance, MOUZ. donk earned the MVP nod in a 1.46-rated performance, continuing his excellent year, but the young starlet would prove in the next tournament that he was not infallible.
.
donk's first real wobble of the year came at IEM Dallas. After a string of donk-like performances saw his team march confidently through the group stage, the youngster took a back seat on the final map against FaZe, with sh1ro stepping up as donk had a rare off map. donk then suffered an even rarer off series against Vitality, proving fairly woeful on Dust2 before putting up a middling performance on the second map, and his team was ultimately eliminated with ease.

It was the first time we had seen donk really struggle at an event, but even then, he still posted a respectable 1.13 average rating and earned a VP mention, propped up by some scintillating maps in the group stage.

With many beginning to question just how good Spirit really were, they returned to their best at the season-ending BLAST Spring Final, in no small part due to another MVP-winning performance by donk. The aggressive rifler topped the scoreboard in every series he played bar one, resulting in him leading the event for ADR (92.8), KPR (0.88), and impact rating (1.45). Whilst his teammates had certainly put in strong performances around him, sh1ro was his top competition for the MVP award, donk continued to frag and provide impact like no other.
.
What came after the summer break was Spirit's toughest period of the season, and donk's poorest run of play. He struggled badly as G2 eliminated Spirit in the first round of the Esports World Cup's playoffs, a matchup that would haunt them for the rest of the year. Spirit then endured a disastrous IEM Cologne. The MongolZ sent them to the lower bracket where they were embarrassed by G2, 26-3 in two maps. donk posted the worst LAN map of his career to date in the second map, a 0.36-rated four-frag showing. This stint hurt donk's case for player of the year immensely.

"We lost confidence in ourselves," donk states when reflecting on Spirit's post-break slump, which he says was his worst moment of the year. "We stopped trusting and began to doubt our abilities." He is philosophical when musing on criticism of Spirit during that period. "I was indifferent. I couldn’t care less about what people said. I understood that we could get through this stage, and I believed that we would manage to do it. In general, there will always be criticism — there are as many opinions as there are people."
.
Following the low point of his year, donk and his team could not have had a better chance to bounce back than at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade Season 2. The field in Serbia was solid but lacking truly elite sides beyond MOUZ, the exact field Spirit needed to play themselves back into form and rediscover their confidence.

Spirit enjoyed the exact type of run they would have wanted in Belgrade. donk farmed Falcons and FURIA as they strolled into the upper final. MOUZ offered a far stiffer test there, but Spirit duly came through, with donk providing over 100 ADR in each of their map wins. MOUZ would falter in the consolidation final, thus presenting Spirit with an unfamiliar opponent in the form of Eternal Fire in the grand final. The resurgent Turks proved no match for Spirit and donk grabbed another MVP award for his efforts, another winner's medal, and Spirit were back on track.

[ORION_z]

"I played 12 hours a day, practically without breaks." This grind paid off for the youngster, as he climbed the FACEIT Elo ladder and earned his opportunity to join a real team.
.
"I played and grinded FACEIT a lot," donk states. "I eventually reached 4000 Elo, and went to the hub to meet people and develop." It was through this hub, the CIS FACEIT League, that donk was noticed by Russian insider and Spirit scout Alexey "⁠OverDrive⁠" Birukov."

Exactly....He used FaceIt and grinding. I am semi grinding FaceIt now and its paying off.

[𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟]

Originally posted by Oriioon:

"I played 12 hours a day, practically without breaks." This grind paid off for the youngster, as he climbed the FACEIT Elo ladder and earned his opportunity to join a real team.
.
"I played and grinded FACEIT a lot," donk states. "I eventually reached 4000 Elo, and went to the hub to meet people and develop." It was through this hub, the CIS FACEIT League, that donk was noticed by Russian insider and Spirit scout Alexey "⁠OverDrive⁠" Birukov."

Exactly....He used FaceIt and grinding. I am semi grinding FaceIt now and its paying off.

I liked

[丰]

good!

[𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟]

Originally posted by W0u1d丰:

good!

[Patrick]

good!

[𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟]

Originally posted by Patrick:

good!

[ForumBot3000™® 🤖👍✅]

Originally posted by 𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟:

In his rookie year at tier-one, donk earns top billing on the top 20 players list thanks to his all-conquering raw numbers and record-breaking peaks.
.
Top 20 players of 2024: Introduction

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets cements his status as one of the greatest rookies in CS history, and matches the feat achieved by Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut in 2019, by earning the top spot on HLTV's top 20 players list in his first full year as a tier-one pro.

Whilst donk's talent for Counter-Strike may be mind-boggling, his origin story is very much a familiar one. He was introduced to 1.6 by his older brother at the tender age of five, and he engaged in the classic younger sibling pastime of peering over his brother's shoulder whilst he played. Eventually, donk's brother started to teach him the game.

donk switched over to CS:GO when his brother bought him the game on Steam, and an obsession quickly took over. "I realized that I was doing well and getting better each day," donk recalls. "I played 12 hours a day, practically without breaks." This grind paid off for the youngster, as he climbed the FACEIT Elo ladder and earned his opportunity to join a real team.
.
"I played and grinded FACEIT a lot," donk states. "I eventually reached 4000 Elo, and went to the hub to meet people and develop." It was through this hub, the CIS FACEIT League, that donk was noticed by Russian insider and Spirit scout Alexey "⁠OverDrive⁠" Birukov.

OverDrive invited donk to play some qualifiers with him, and the young rifler's talent was instantly apparent. "From the first game, it was crystal clear to understand his extremely high potential," OverDrive told HLTV when describing playing those test matches with donk in early 2021. "He was 14-years-old but thinking in-game like he was 20, and his aiming skills were unique."

Whilst most players spend time working their way up through the lower rungs of the professional ladder, playing for lesser teams to build experience and get their name out there, this wasn't the case for donk. Even ZywOo spent time on teams like aAa, bolstering his game time in proper matches before joining Vitality. donk's immense talent, and the opportunity offered by WePlay Academy League, ensured he enjoyed a unique journey to the top.
.
Spirit offered donk a spot on their academy roster, and, at the age of 14, the young Russian took his first steps into the professional scene. Despite his obvious ability and potential, there were faltering steps at first.

donk put up a handful of strong maps in his early days on Spirit Academy, but also plenty of bad maps. His ratings were often in the red and his KDA negative as Spirit Academy struggled to win many maps, even with soon-to-be main team players Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov and Pavel "⁠S1ren⁠" Ogloblin among their ranks. donk was playing against admittedly stiff opposition much of the time, good tier-two sides like ENCE and KOI (then Movistar Riders) to name a few, but he was often struggling even against the lesser teams.

"At first it was hard for me," donk admits when reflecting on his start in Spirit Academy. "I thought that I wasn’t ready for competitive play at that moment. I was upset because I felt that I wasn’t showing the level I’m capable of."
.
Regardless of his overall level in his first official matches, Spirit saw enough in donk to keep him on the academy roster when Patsi and S1ren were promoted to the main team at the end of the year.

donk continued to struggle to stamp his authority on Spirit Academy's games early in 2022, up until what felt like a watershed moment: WePlay Academy League Season 5. donk might not have been the force we have come to expect across the whole tournament, but his efforts in the play-in portion of the event helped carry his team into the playoffs, where they would eventually go on to secure second place.
.
donk's individual form began to trend upwards through the rest of the year, and this carried on into 2023. With increasing regularity, the young phenom was taking over games, putting up the kind of numbers tier-one fans have become used to seeing from him, and by early 2023, he was carrying Spirit Academy to deep runs and titles in CCT Europe Series events.
.
With donk's form truly taking shape and the academy team's growing success, it was only a matter of time before the struggling main team turned to their young stars. Spirit did so in July, bringing donk up to the main team alongside Artem "⁠ArtFr0st⁠" Kharitonov and Myroslav "⁠zont1x⁠" Plakhotia, the core that was the beating heart of the academy team's rapidly growing stature. donk did not get carried away as a result of his promotion, far from it. "Overall, for me, it meant only one thing: that I was going to a higher level, and that I would have to work more than I had worked before," donk simply states.

donk hit the ground running for the main team, racking up insane numbers as they plowed their way through tier-two competition in order to bed in their young talents. They won CCT North Europe Series 6 almost immediately after the academy stars were promoted, and finished second in CCT 2023 Online Finals 2 not long after.

Spirit then turned their sights to LAN competition, winning PARI Dunav Party and taking down Virtus.pro in the process. Still, donk refused to get carried away despite his streak of successes. "I didn't consider it a success," he says when reflecting on the aforementioned tournament victories. "It was just a sign that we were moving in the right direction and getting better."
.
By the end of the year, hype for Spirit and donk reached a fever pitch after they won BetBoom Dacha 2023. Not only was it a LAN event attended by a raft of top 10 and 15 sides, but Spirit won it in dramatic fashion, completing the first-ever BO5 reverse sweep at an international LAN over Virtus.pro. Throughout every modest success Spirit had racked up across 2023, donk had been at the forefront, and he was so once again at BetBoom Dacha. He picked up the MVP medal for his efforts, and the year ended with the entire community holding its breath as it awaited the arrival of donk's iteration of Spirit to tier-one play.

If possible, the anticipation for Spirit's efforts in 2024 were heightened even further in the off-season thanks to the dramatic signing of Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov. Thrice deemed a top 10 player in the world on HLTV's top 20, sh1ro was one of a precious few signings that Spirit could realistically make to improve their team on paper, and despite ArtFr0st performing well in a Spirit jersey, he could not argue with Spirit replacing him when sh1ro was available.

Thus, with the dawn of 2024 came intense curiosity and excitement for Spirit. They had signed one of the best AWPers in the world, sh1ro, to compliment the effervescent young talent of donk, and it was time for the squad to display what they were worth at the tier-one level. Would donk prove to be the revelation he appeared to be, and would Spirit be elevated with the signing of sh1ro?
.
The early signs were a little worrying. Spirit limped through the PGL Major Copenhagen closed qualifier with a loss to KOI and narrow wins over lesser opposition, but a confident 2-0 victory over MOUZ dispelled the worst of the concern.

IEM Katowice was to be Spirit and donk's first real test, their first chance to show what they were made of amongst the elite. It was a test they passed with flying colours, putting together perhaps the most incredible breakout tournament campaign of all time, with donk in utterly irresistible form as Spirit demolished everyone in their path, dropping a single map on their way to the trophy.

Natus Vincere, the third-ranked team in the world, were crushed by a 1.45-rated donk performance. FaZe, second in the world, fell in the group final to an utterly absurd 1.83-rated donk masterclass, with the Russian phenom racking up 120 ADR. He saved the best for last, however, producing a magnificent 124 ADR on his way to a 1.96 rating as he ran over FaZe across three maps in the final, racking up a staggering 82 kills.
.
It was a record-breaking, MVP-winning performance and an outrageously emphatic announcement of donk on the world stage. He equalled the Big Event rating record (1.70) in arguably a more difficult setting and context. He posted 1.11 KPR, 2.10 impact rating, and a whopping 79 multi-kill rounds. It was the single most impressive individual tournament performance of all time, bar none. donk had arrived.

"We came to this tournament without any expectations," donk admits when looking back at IEM Katowice. "We had only one goal — to play our game and get in shape, getting better from match to match. I really liked this whole competitive atmosphere, it’s off the charts at tournaments like this one." In typical fashion, donk refuses to get too excited when discussing his own record-breaking performance. "I don't care. It's nice and cool, of course, but without the team, I wouldn't have been able to give such a performance."
.
The powerful little Russian continued to menace teams as Spirit confidently qualified for PGL Major Copenhagen and BLAST Premier Spring final, topping the scoreboard in nearly every map he played. The tournament everyone was waiting for was up next, CS2's first Major, and all eyes were on donk as he headed to Copenhagen to attempt the unthinkable; win his first-ever Major.

Spirit's Major campaign began perfectly, with the team dominating the Elimination Stage. Not only was donk on fire, the rifler battered Imperial to the tune of 130 ADR and a 2.24 rating, but sh1ro was also in form. Natus Vincere took a map off Spirit in the playoff qualification bout, but were ultimately also swept aside with relative ease.

The stage seemed set for a Spirit Major victory, and for donk to quickly pen another successful chapter in his short biography thus far. Spirit had shown in Katowice that the stage pressure didn't get to them, and FaZe, their quarter-finals opponents, had already been bested by Spirit twice in Poland. Unfortunately for donk and his team, the pressure did seem to get to them in Copenhagen.
.
FaZe turned the screw on the first map of Mirage, and Spirit all seemed out of sorts. donk may have racked up solid ADR and a positive KDA, but he wasn't at his domineering best. He recovered on Nuke to guide Spirit to a decider, dropping a 30-bomb to seal a tight overtime battle. donk continued to perform well on Vertigo, but his teammates dropped the ball; sh1ro was missing all series long, and zont1x crumbled in multiple vital moments with the pressure mounting. His team slipped to defeat in another overtime scrap, and had to settle for a top-eight finish.

Upon reflection, donk feels Spirit were the better team going into that quarter-final. "It's sad that we lost, I think we were stronger as a team overall, and I think the veto was great for us." He admits that it was the psychological aspect of the game that let Spirit down. "Due to nerves, we lost to FaZe and got eliminated from the Major."
.
donk could hardly be faulted for Spirit's somewhat disappointing Major finish. He had certainly dropped off from the superlative level he displayed at Katowice, but that was simply not sustainable. He still produced an unparalleled level of fragging, 0.90 KPR, and was immensely impactful in most of the maps he played. He also racked up his impressive fragging numbers with six of his eight maps coming against the two eventual finalists, Natus Vincere and FaZe. Deservedly, he picked up an EVP mention for his efforts in his first Major appearance.

Across the next two events, Spirit proved they were not the force of dominance that was teased during IEM Katowice. First, the team could only take second-place at the medium-tier BetBoom Dacha Belgrade, being dominated in the grand final by the only other elite squad in attendance, MOUZ. donk earned the MVP nod in a 1.46-rated performance, continuing his excellent year, but the young starlet would prove in the next tournament that he was not infallible.
.
donk's first real wobble of the year came at IEM Dallas. After a string of donk-like performances saw his team march confidently through the group stage, the youngster took a back seat on the final map against FaZe, with sh1ro stepping up as donk had a rare off map. donk then suffered an even rarer off series against Vitality, proving fairly woeful on Dust2 before putting up a middling performance on the second map, and his team was ultimately eliminated with ease.

It was the first time we had seen donk really struggle at an event, but even then, he still posted a respectable 1.13 average rating and earned a VP mention, propped up by some scintillating maps in the group stage.

With many beginning to question just how good Spirit really were, they returned to their best at the season-ending BLAST Spring Final, in no small part due to another MVP-winning performance by donk. The aggressive rifler topped the scoreboard in every series he played bar one, resulting in him leading the event for ADR (92.8), KPR (0.88), and impact rating (1.45). Whilst his teammates had certainly put in strong performances around him, sh1ro was his top competition for the MVP award, donk continued to frag and provide impact like no other.
.
What came after the summer break was Spirit's toughest period of the season, and donk's poorest run of play. He struggled badly as G2 eliminated Spirit in the first round of the Esports World Cup's playoffs, a matchup that would haunt them for the rest of the year. Spirit then endured a disastrous IEM Cologne. The MongolZ sent them to the lower bracket where they were embarrassed by G2, 26-3 in two maps. donk posted the worst LAN map of his career to date in the second map, a 0.36-rated four-frag showing. This stint hurt donk's case for player of the year immensely.

"We lost confidence in ourselves," donk states when reflecting on Spirit's post-break slump, which he says was his worst moment of the year. "We stopped trusting and began to doubt our abilities." He is philosophical when musing on criticism of Spirit during that period. "I was indifferent. I couldn’t care less about what people said. I understood that we could get through this stage, and I believed that we would manage to do it. In general, there will always be criticism — there are as many opinions as there are people."
.
Following the low point of his year, donk and his team could not have had a better chance to bounce back than at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade Season 2. The field in Serbia was solid but lacking truly elite sides beyond MOUZ, the exact field Spirit needed to play themselves back into form and rediscover their confidence.

Spirit enjoyed the exact type of run they would have wanted in Belgrade. donk farmed Falcons and FURIA as they strolled into the upper final. MOUZ offered a far stiffer test there, but Spirit duly came through, with donk providing over 100 ADR in each of their map wins. MOUZ would falter in the consolidation final, thus presenting Spirit with an unfamiliar opponent in the form of Eternal Fire in the grand final. The resurgent Turks proved no match for Spirit and donk grabbed another MVP award for his efforts, another winner's medal, and Spirit were back on track.

Who is this?

[𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟]

Originally posted by 🧮:

Originally posted by 𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟:

In his rookie year at tier-one, donk earns top billing on the top 20 players list thanks to his all-conquering raw numbers and record-breaking peaks.
.
Top 20 players of 2024: Introduction

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets cements his status as one of the greatest rookies in CS history, and matches the feat achieved by Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut in 2019, by earning the top spot on HLTV's top 20 players list in his first full year as a tier-one pro.

Whilst donk's talent for Counter-Strike may be mind-boggling, his origin story is very much a familiar one. He was introduced to 1.6 by his older brother at the tender age of five, and he engaged in the classic younger sibling pastime of peering over his brother's shoulder whilst he played. Eventually, donk's brother started to teach him the game.

donk switched over to CS:GO when his brother bought him the game on Steam, and an obsession quickly took over. "I realized that I was doing well and getting better each day," donk recalls. "I played 12 hours a day, practically without breaks." This grind paid off for the youngster, as he climbed the FACEIT Elo ladder and earned his opportunity to join a real team.
.
"I played and grinded FACEIT a lot," donk states. "I eventually reached 4000 Elo, and went to the hub to meet people and develop." It was through this hub, the CIS FACEIT League, that donk was noticed by Russian insider and Spirit scout Alexey "⁠OverDrive⁠" Birukov.

OverDrive invited donk to play some qualifiers with him, and the young rifler's talent was instantly apparent. "From the first game, it was crystal clear to understand his extremely high potential," OverDrive told HLTV when describing playing those test matches with donk in early 2021. "He was 14-years-old but thinking in-game like he was 20, and his aiming skills were unique."

Whilst most players spend time working their way up through the lower rungs of the professional ladder, playing for lesser teams to build experience and get their name out there, this wasn't the case for donk. Even ZywOo spent time on teams like aAa, bolstering his game time in proper matches before joining Vitality. donk's immense talent, and the opportunity offered by WePlay Academy League, ensured he enjoyed a unique journey to the top.
.
Spirit offered donk a spot on their academy roster, and, at the age of 14, the young Russian took his first steps into the professional scene. Despite his obvious ability and potential, there were faltering steps at first.

donk put up a handful of strong maps in his early days on Spirit Academy, but also plenty of bad maps. His ratings were often in the red and his KDA negative as Spirit Academy struggled to win many maps, even with soon-to-be main team players Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov and Pavel "⁠S1ren⁠" Ogloblin among their ranks. donk was playing against admittedly stiff opposition much of the time, good tier-two sides like ENCE and KOI (then Movistar Riders) to name a few, but he was often struggling even against the lesser teams.

"At first it was hard for me," donk admits when reflecting on his start in Spirit Academy. "I thought that I wasn’t ready for competitive play at that moment. I was upset because I felt that I wasn’t showing the level I’m capable of."
.
Regardless of his overall level in his first official matches, Spirit saw enough in donk to keep him on the academy roster when Patsi and S1ren were promoted to the main team at the end of the year.

donk continued to struggle to stamp his authority on Spirit Academy's games early in 2022, up until what felt like a watershed moment: WePlay Academy League Season 5. donk might not have been the force we have come to expect across the whole tournament, but his efforts in the play-in portion of the event helped carry his team into the playoffs, where they would eventually go on to secure second place.
.
donk's individual form began to trend upwards through the rest of the year, and this carried on into 2023. With increasing regularity, the young phenom was taking over games, putting up the kind of numbers tier-one fans have become used to seeing from him, and by early 2023, he was carrying Spirit Academy to deep runs and titles in CCT Europe Series events.
.
With donk's form truly taking shape and the academy team's growing success, it was only a matter of time before the struggling main team turned to their young stars. Spirit did so in July, bringing donk up to the main team alongside Artem "⁠ArtFr0st⁠" Kharitonov and Myroslav "⁠zont1x⁠" Plakhotia, the core that was the beating heart of the academy team's rapidly growing stature. donk did not get carried away as a result of his promotion, far from it. "Overall, for me, it meant only one thing: that I was going to a higher level, and that I would have to work more than I had worked before," donk simply states.

donk hit the ground running for the main team, racking up insane numbers as they plowed their way through tier-two competition in order to bed in their young talents. They won CCT North Europe Series 6 almost immediately after the academy stars were promoted, and finished second in CCT 2023 Online Finals 2 not long after.

Spirit then turned their sights to LAN competition, winning PARI Dunav Party and taking down Virtus.pro in the process. Still, donk refused to get carried away despite his streak of successes. "I didn't consider it a success," he says when reflecting on the aforementioned tournament victories. "It was just a sign that we were moving in the right direction and getting better."
.
By the end of the year, hype for Spirit and donk reached a fever pitch after they won BetBoom Dacha 2023. Not only was it a LAN event attended by a raft of top 10 and 15 sides, but Spirit won it in dramatic fashion, completing the first-ever BO5 reverse sweep at an international LAN over Virtus.pro. Throughout every modest success Spirit had racked up across 2023, donk had been at the forefront, and he was so once again at BetBoom Dacha. He picked up the MVP medal for his efforts, and the year ended with the entire community holding its breath as it awaited the arrival of donk's iteration of Spirit to tier-one play.

If possible, the anticipation for Spirit's efforts in 2024 were heightened even further in the off-season thanks to the dramatic signing of Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov. Thrice deemed a top 10 player in the world on HLTV's top 20, sh1ro was one of a precious few signings that Spirit could realistically make to improve their team on paper, and despite ArtFr0st performing well in a Spirit jersey, he could not argue with Spirit replacing him when sh1ro was available.

Thus, with the dawn of 2024 came intense curiosity and excitement for Spirit. They had signed one of the best AWPers in the world, sh1ro, to compliment the effervescent young talent of donk, and it was time for the squad to display what they were worth at the tier-one level. Would donk prove to be the revelation he appeared to be, and would Spirit be elevated with the signing of sh1ro?
.
The early signs were a little worrying. Spirit limped through the PGL Major Copenhagen closed qualifier with a loss to KOI and narrow wins over lesser opposition, but a confident 2-0 victory over MOUZ dispelled the worst of the concern.

IEM Katowice was to be Spirit and donk's first real test, their first chance to show what they were made of amongst the elite. It was a test they passed with flying colours, putting together perhaps the most incredible breakout tournament campaign of all time, with donk in utterly irresistible form as Spirit demolished everyone in their path, dropping a single map on their way to the trophy.

Natus Vincere, the third-ranked team in the world, were crushed by a 1.45-rated donk performance. FaZe, second in the world, fell in the group final to an utterly absurd 1.83-rated donk masterclass, with the Russian phenom racking up 120 ADR. He saved the best for last, however, producing a magnificent 124 ADR on his way to a 1.96 rating as he ran over FaZe across three maps in the final, racking up a staggering 82 kills.
.
It was a record-breaking, MVP-winning performance and an outrageously emphatic announcement of donk on the world stage. He equalled the Big Event rating record (1.70) in arguably a more difficult setting and context. He posted 1.11 KPR, 2.10 impact rating, and a whopping 79 multi-kill rounds. It was the single most impressive individual tournament performance of all time, bar none. donk had arrived.

"We came to this tournament without any expectations," donk admits when looking back at IEM Katowice. "We had only one goal — to play our game and get in shape, getting better from match to match. I really liked this whole competitive atmosphere, it’s off the charts at tournaments like this one." In typical fashion, donk refuses to get too excited when discussing his own record-breaking performance. "I don't care. It's nice and cool, of course, but without the team, I wouldn't have been able to give such a performance."
.
The powerful little Russian continued to menace teams as Spirit confidently qualified for PGL Major Copenhagen and BLAST Premier Spring final, topping the scoreboard in nearly every map he played. The tournament everyone was waiting for was up next, CS2's first Major, and all eyes were on donk as he headed to Copenhagen to attempt the unthinkable; win his first-ever Major.

Spirit's Major campaign began perfectly, with the team dominating the Elimination Stage. Not only was donk on fire, the rifler battered Imperial to the tune of 130 ADR and a 2.24 rating, but sh1ro was also in form. Natus Vincere took a map off Spirit in the playoff qualification bout, but were ultimately also swept aside with relative ease.

The stage seemed set for a Spirit Major victory, and for donk to quickly pen another successful chapter in his short biography thus far. Spirit had shown in Katowice that the stage pressure didn't get to them, and FaZe, their quarter-finals opponents, had already been bested by Spirit twice in Poland. Unfortunately for donk and his team, the pressure did seem to get to them in Copenhagen.
.
FaZe turned the screw on the first map of Mirage, and Spirit all seemed out of sorts. donk may have racked up solid ADR and a positive KDA, but he wasn't at his domineering best. He recovered on Nuke to guide Spirit to a decider, dropping a 30-bomb to seal a tight overtime battle. donk continued to perform well on Vertigo, but his teammates dropped the ball; sh1ro was missing all series long, and zont1x crumbled in multiple vital moments with the pressure mounting. His team slipped to defeat in another overtime scrap, and had to settle for a top-eight finish.

Upon reflection, donk feels Spirit were the better team going into that quarter-final. "It's sad that we lost, I think we were stronger as a team overall, and I think the veto was great for us." He admits that it was the psychological aspect of the game that let Spirit down. "Due to nerves, we lost to FaZe and got eliminated from the Major."
.
donk could hardly be faulted for Spirit's somewhat disappointing Major finish. He had certainly dropped off from the superlative level he displayed at Katowice, but that was simply not sustainable. He still produced an unparalleled level of fragging, 0.90 KPR, and was immensely impactful in most of the maps he played. He also racked up his impressive fragging numbers with six of his eight maps coming against the two eventual finalists, Natus Vincere and FaZe. Deservedly, he picked up an EVP mention for his efforts in his first Major appearance.

Across the next two events, Spirit proved they were not the force of dominance that was teased during IEM Katowice. First, the team could only take second-place at the medium-tier BetBoom Dacha Belgrade, being dominated in the grand final by the only other elite squad in attendance, MOUZ. donk earned the MVP nod in a 1.46-rated performance, continuing his excellent year, but the young starlet would prove in the next tournament that he was not infallible.
.
donk's first real wobble of the year came at IEM Dallas. After a string of donk-like performances saw his team march confidently through the group stage, the youngster took a back seat on the final map against FaZe, with sh1ro stepping up as donk had a rare off map. donk then suffered an even rarer off series against Vitality, proving fairly woeful on Dust2 before putting up a middling performance on the second map, and his team was ultimately eliminated with ease.

It was the first time we had seen donk really struggle at an event, but even then, he still posted a respectable 1.13 average rating and earned a VP mention, propped up by some scintillating maps in the group stage.

With many beginning to question just how good Spirit really were, they returned to their best at the season-ending BLAST Spring Final, in no small part due to another MVP-winning performance by donk. The aggressive rifler topped the scoreboard in every series he played bar one, resulting in him leading the event for ADR (92.8), KPR (0.88), and impact rating (1.45). Whilst his teammates had certainly put in strong performances around him, sh1ro was his top competition for the MVP award, donk continued to frag and provide impact like no other.
.
What came after the summer break was Spirit's toughest period of the season, and donk's poorest run of play. He struggled badly as G2 eliminated Spirit in the first round of the Esports World Cup's playoffs, a matchup that would haunt them for the rest of the year. Spirit then endured a disastrous IEM Cologne. The MongolZ sent them to the lower bracket where they were embarrassed by G2, 26-3 in two maps. donk posted the worst LAN map of his career to date in the second map, a 0.36-rated four-frag showing. This stint hurt donk's case for player of the year immensely.

"We lost confidence in ourselves," donk states when reflecting on Spirit's post-break slump, which he says was his worst moment of the year. "We stopped trusting and began to doubt our abilities." He is philosophical when musing on criticism of Spirit during that period. "I was indifferent. I couldn’t care less about what people said. I understood that we could get through this stage, and I believed that we would manage to do it. In general, there will always be criticism — there are as many opinions as there are people."
.
Following the low point of his year, donk and his team could not have had a better chance to bounce back than at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade Season 2. The field in Serbia was solid but lacking truly elite sides beyond MOUZ, the exact field Spirit needed to play themselves back into form and rediscover their confidence.

Spirit enjoyed the exact type of run they would have wanted in Belgrade. donk farmed Falcons and FURIA as they strolled into the upper final. MOUZ offered a far stiffer test there, but Spirit duly came through, with donk providing over 100 ADR in each of their map wins. MOUZ would falter in the consolidation final, thus presenting Spirit with an unfamiliar opponent in the form of Eternal Fire in the grand final. The resurgent Turks proved no match for Spirit and donk grabbed another MVP award for his efforts, another winner's medal, and Spirit were back on track.

Who is this?

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets
Team Spirit donk⁠

[Reported.]

Originally posted by 𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟:

Originally posted by 🧮:

Who is this?

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets
Team Spirit donk⁠

In his rookie year at tier-one, donk earns top billing on the top 20 players list thanks to his all-conquering raw numbers and record-breaking peaks.
.
Top 20 players of 2024: Introduction

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets cements his status as one of the greatest rookies in CS history, and matches the feat achieved by Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut in 2019, by earning the top spot on HLTV's top 20 players list in his first full year as a tier-one pro.

Whilst donk's talent for Counter-Strike may be mind-boggling, his origin story is very much a familiar one. He was introduced to 1.6 by his older brother at the tender age of five, and he engaged in the classic younger sibling pastime of peering over his brother's shoulder whilst he played. Eventually, donk's brother started to teach him the game.

donk switched over to CS:GO when his brother bought him the game on Steam, and an obsession quickly took over. "I realized that I was doing well and getting better each day," donk recalls. "I played 12 hours a day, practically without breaks." This grind paid off for the youngster, as he climbed the FACEIT Elo ladder and earned his opportunity to join a real team.
.
"I played and grinded FACEIT a lot," donk states. "I eventually reached 4000 Elo, and went to the hub to meet people and develop." It was through this hub, the CIS FACEIT League, that donk was noticed by Russian insider and Spirit scout Alexey "⁠OverDrive⁠" Birukov.

OverDrive invited donk to play some qualifiers with him, and the young rifler's talent was instantly apparent. "From the first game, it was crystal clear to understand his extremely high potential," OverDrive told HLTV when describing playing those test matches with donk in early 2021. "He was 14-years-old but thinking in-game like he was 20, and his aiming skills were unique."

Whilst most players spend time working their way up through the lower rungs of the professional ladder, playing for lesser teams to build experience and get their name out there, this wasn't the case for donk. Even ZywOo spent time on teams like aAa, bolstering his game time in proper matches before joining Vitality. donk's immense talent, and the opportunity offered by WePlay Academy League, ensured he enjoyed a unique journey to the top.
.
Spirit offered donk a spot on their academy roster, and, at the age of 14, the young Russian took his first steps into the professional scene. Despite his obvious ability and potential, there were faltering steps at first.

donk put up a handful of strong maps in his early days on Spirit Academy, but also plenty of bad maps. His ratings were often in the red and his KDA negative as Spirit Academy struggled to win many maps, even with soon-to-be main team players Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov and Pavel "⁠S1ren⁠" Ogloblin among their ranks. donk was playing against admittedly stiff opposition much of the time, good tier-two sides like ENCE and KOI (then Movistar Riders) to name a few, but he was often struggling even against the lesser teams.

"At first it was hard for me," donk admits when reflecting on his start in Spirit Academy. "I thought that I wasn’t ready for competitive play at that moment. I was upset because I felt that I wasn’t showing the level I’m capable of."
.
Regardless of his overall level in his first official matches, Spirit saw enough in donk to keep him on the academy roster when Patsi and S1ren were promoted to the main team at the end of the year.

donk continued to struggle to stamp his authority on Spirit Academy's games early in 2022, up until what felt like a watershed moment: WePlay Academy League Season 5. donk might not have been the force we have come to expect across the whole tournament, but his efforts in the play-in portion of the event helped carry his team into the playoffs, where they would eventually go on to secure second place.
.
donk's individual form began to trend upwards through the rest of the year, and this carried on into 2023. With increasing regularity, the young phenom was taking over games, putting up the kind of numbers tier-one fans have become used to seeing from him, and by early 2023, he was carrying Spirit Academy to deep runs and titles in CCT Europe Series events.
.
With donk's form truly taking shape and the academy team's growing success, it was only a matter of time before the struggling main team turned to their young stars. Spirit did so in July, bringing donk up to the main team alongside Artem "⁠ArtFr0st⁠" Kharitonov and Myroslav "⁠zont1x⁠" Plakhotia, the core that was the beating heart of the academy team's rapidly growing stature. donk did not get carried away as a result of his promotion, far from it. "Overall, for me, it meant only one thing: that I was going to a higher level, and that I would have to work more than I had worked before," donk simply states.

donk hit the ground running for the main team, racking up insane numbers as they plowed their way through tier-two competition in order to bed in their young talents. They won CCT North Europe Series 6 almost immediately after the academy stars were promoted, and finished second in CCT 2023 Online Finals 2 not long after.

Spirit then turned their sights to LAN competition, winning PARI Dunav Party and taking down Virtus.pro in the process. Still, donk refused to get carried away despite his streak of successes. "I didn't consider it a success," he says when reflecting on the aforementioned tournament victories. "It was just a sign that we were moving in the right direction and getting better."
.
By the end of the year, hype for Spirit and donk reached a fever pitch after they won BetBoom Dacha 2023. Not only was it a LAN event attended by a raft of top 10 and 15 sides, but Spirit won it in dramatic fashion, completing the first-ever BO5 reverse sweep at an international LAN over Virtus.pro. Throughout every modest success Spirit had racked up across 2023, donk had been at the forefront, and he was so once again at BetBoom Dacha. He picked up the MVP medal for his efforts, and the year ended with the entire community holding its breath as it awaited the arrival of donk's iteration of Spirit to tier-one play.

If possible, the anticipation for Spirit's efforts in 2024 were heightened even further in the off-season thanks to the dramatic signing of Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov. Thrice deemed a top 10 player in the world on HLTV's top 20, sh1ro was one of a precious few signings that Spirit could realistically make to improve their team on paper, and despite ArtFr0st performing well in a Spirit jersey, he could not argue with Spirit replacing him when sh1ro was available.

Thus, with the dawn of 2024 came intense curiosity and excitement for Spirit. They had signed one of the best AWPers in the world, sh1ro, to compliment the effervescent young talent of donk, and it was time for the squad to display what they were worth at the tier-one level. Would donk prove to be the revelation he appeared to be, and would Spirit be elevated with the signing of sh1ro?
.
The early signs were a little worrying. Spirit limped through the PGL Major Copenhagen closed qualifier with a loss to KOI and narrow wins over lesser opposition, but a confident 2-0 victory over MOUZ dispelled the worst of the concern.

IEM Katowice was to be Spirit and donk's first real test, their first chance to show what they were made of amongst the elite. It was a test they passed with flying colours, putting together perhaps the most incredible breakout tournament campaign of all time, with donk in utterly irresistible form as Spirit demolished everyone in their path, dropping a single map on their way to the trophy.

Natus Vincere, the third-ranked team in the world, were crushed by a 1.45-rated donk performance. FaZe, second in the world, fell in the group final to an utterly absurd 1.83-rated donk masterclass, with the Russian phenom racking up 120 ADR. He saved the best for last, however, producing a magnificent 124 ADR on his way to a 1.96 rating as he ran over FaZe across three maps in the final, racking up a staggering 82 kills.
.
It was a record-breaking, MVP-winning performance and an outrageously emphatic announcement of donk on the world stage. He equalled the Big Event rating record (1.70) in arguably a more difficult setting and context. He posted 1.11 KPR, 2.10 impact rating, and a whopping 79 multi-kill rounds. It was the single most impressive individual tournament performance of all time, bar none. donk had arrived.

"We came to this tournament without any expectations," donk admits when looking back at IEM Katowice. "We had only one goal — to play our game and get in shape, getting better from match to match. I really liked this whole competitive atmosphere, it’s off the charts at tournaments like this one." In typical fashion, donk refuses to get too excited when discussing his own record-breaking performance. "I don't care. It's nice and cool, of course, but without the team, I wouldn't have been able to give such a performance."
.
The powerful little Russian continued to menace teams as Spirit confidently qualified for PGL Major Copenhagen and BLAST Premier Spring final, topping the scoreboard in nearly every map he played. The tournament everyone was waiting for was up next, CS2's first Major, and all eyes were on donk as he headed to Copenhagen to attempt the unthinkable; win his first-ever Major.

Spirit's Major campaign began perfectly, with the team dominating the Elimination Stage. Not only was donk on fire, the rifler battered Imperial to the tune of 130 ADR and a 2.24 rating, but sh1ro was also in form. Natus Vincere took a map off Spirit in the playoff qualification bout, but were ultimately also swept aside with relative ease.

The stage seemed set for a Spirit Major victory, and for donk to quickly pen another successful chapter in his short biography thus far. Spirit had shown in Katowice that the stage pressure didn't get to them, and FaZe, their quarter-finals opponents, had already been bested by Spirit twice in Poland. Unfortunately for donk and his team, the pressure did seem to get to them in Copenhagen.
.
FaZe turned the screw on the first map of Mirage, and Spirit all seemed out of sorts. donk may have racked up solid ADR and a positive KDA, but he wasn't at his domineering best. He recovered on Nuke to guide Spirit to a decider, dropping a 30-bomb to seal a tight overtime battle. donk continued to perform well on Vertigo, but his teammates dropped the ball; sh1ro was missing all series long, and zont1x crumbled in multiple vital moments with the pressure mounting. His team slipped to defeat in another overtime scrap, and had to settle for a top-eight finish.

Upon reflection, donk feels Spirit were the better team going into that quarter-final. "It's sad that we lost, I think we were stronger as a team overall, and I think the veto was great for us." He admits that it was the psychological aspect of the game that let Spirit down. "Due to nerves, we lost to FaZe and got eliminated from the Major."
.
donk could hardly be faulted for Spirit's somewhat disappointing Major finish. He had certainly dropped off from the superlative level he displayed at Katowice, but that was simply not sustainable. He still produced an unparalleled level of fragging, 0.90 KPR, and was immensely impactful in most of the maps he played. He also racked up his impressive fragging numbers with six of his eight maps coming against the two eventual finalists, Natus Vincere and FaZe. Deservedly, he picked up an EVP mention for his efforts in his first Major appearance.

Across the next two events, Spirit proved they were not the force of dominance that was teased during IEM Katowice. First, the team could only take second-place at the medium-tier BetBoom Dacha Belgrade, being dominated in the grand final by the only other elite squad in attendance, MOUZ. donk earned the MVP nod in a 1.46-rated performance, continuing his excellent year, but the young starlet would prove in the next tournament that he was not infallible.
.
donk's first real wobble of the year came at IEM Dallas. After a string of donk-like performances saw his team march confidently through the group stage, the youngster took a back seat on the final map against FaZe, with sh1ro stepping up as donk had a rare off map. donk then suffered an even rarer off series against Vitality, proving fairly woeful on Dust2 before putting up a middling performance on the second map, and his team was ultimately eliminated with ease.

It was the first time we had seen donk really struggle at an event, but even then, he still posted a respectable 1.13 average rating and earned a VP mention, propped up by some scintillating maps in the group stage.

With many beginning to question just how good Spirit really were, they returned to their best at the season-ending BLAST Spring Final, in no small part due to another MVP-winning performance by donk. The aggressive rifler topped the scoreboard in every series he played bar one, resulting in him leading the event for ADR (92.8), KPR (0.88), and impact rating (1.45). Whilst his teammates had certainly put in strong performances around him, sh1ro was his top competition for the MVP award, donk continued to frag and provide impact like no other.
.
What came after the summer break was Spirit's toughest period of the season, and donk's poorest run of play. He struggled badly as G2 eliminated Spirit in the first round of the Esports World Cup's playoffs, a matchup that would haunt them for the rest of the year. Spirit then endured a disastrous IEM Cologne. The MongolZ sent them to the lower bracket where they were embarrassed by G2, 26-3 in two maps. donk posted the worst LAN map of his career to date in the second map, a 0.36-rated four-frag showing. This stint hurt donk's case for player of the year immensely.

"We lost confidence in ourselves," donk states when reflecting on Spirit's post-break slump, which he says was his worst moment of the year. "We stopped trusting and began to doubt our abilities." He is philosophical when musing on criticism of Spirit during that period. "I was indifferent. I couldn’t care less about what people said. I understood that we could get through this stage, and I believed that we would manage to do it. In general, there will always be criticism — there are as many opinions as there are people."
.
Following the low point of his year, donk and his team could not have had a better chance to bounce back than at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade Season 2. The field in Serbia was solid but lacking truly elite sides beyond MOUZ, the exact field Spirit needed to play themselves back into form and rediscover their confidence.

Spirit enjoyed the exact type of run they would have wanted in Belgrade. donk farmed Falcons and FURIA as they strolled into the upper final. MOUZ offered a far stiffer test there, but Spirit duly came through, with donk providing over 100 ADR in each of their map wins. MOUZ would falter in the consolidation final, thus presenting Spirit with an unfamiliar opponent in the form of Eternal Fire in the grand final. The resurgent Turks proved no match for Spirit and donk grabbed another MVP award for his efforts, another winner's medal, and Spirit were back on track.

[ForumBot3000™® 🤖👍✅]

Originally posted by Sozin:

Originally posted by 𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟:

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets
Team Spirit donk⁠

In his rookie year at tier-one, donk earns top billing on the top 20 players list thanks to his all-conquering raw numbers and record-breaking peaks.
.
Top 20 players of 2024: Introduction

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets cements his status as one of the greatest rookies in CS history, and matches the feat achieved by Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut in 2019, by earning the top spot on HLTV's top 20 players list in his first full year as a tier-one pro.

Whilst donk's talent for Counter-Strike may be mind-boggling, his origin story is very much a familiar one. He was introduced to 1.6 by his older brother at the tender age of five, and he engaged in the classic younger sibling pastime of peering over his brother's shoulder whilst he played. Eventually, donk's brother started to teach him the game.

donk switched over to CS:GO when his brother bought him the game on Steam, and an obsession quickly took over. "I realized that I was doing well and getting better each day," donk recalls. "I played 12 hours a day, practically without breaks." This grind paid off for the youngster, as he climbed the FACEIT Elo ladder and earned his opportunity to join a real team.
.
"I played and grinded FACEIT a lot," donk states. "I eventually reached 4000 Elo, and went to the hub to meet people and develop." It was through this hub, the CIS FACEIT League, that donk was noticed by Russian insider and Spirit scout Alexey "⁠OverDrive⁠" Birukov.

OverDrive invited donk to play some qualifiers with him, and the young rifler's talent was instantly apparent. "From the first game, it was crystal clear to understand his extremely high potential," OverDrive told HLTV when describing playing those test matches with donk in early 2021. "He was 14-years-old but thinking in-game like he was 20, and his aiming skills were unique."

Whilst most players spend time working their way up through the lower rungs of the professional ladder, playing for lesser teams to build experience and get their name out there, this wasn't the case for donk. Even ZywOo spent time on teams like aAa, bolstering his game time in proper matches before joining Vitality. donk's immense talent, and the opportunity offered by WePlay Academy League, ensured he enjoyed a unique journey to the top.
.
Spirit offered donk a spot on their academy roster, and, at the age of 14, the young Russian took his first steps into the professional scene. Despite his obvious ability and potential, there were faltering steps at first.

donk put up a handful of strong maps in his early days on Spirit Academy, but also plenty of bad maps. His ratings were often in the red and his KDA negative as Spirit Academy struggled to win many maps, even with soon-to-be main team players Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov and Pavel "⁠S1ren⁠" Ogloblin among their ranks. donk was playing against admittedly stiff opposition much of the time, good tier-two sides like ENCE and KOI (then Movistar Riders) to name a few, but he was often struggling even against the lesser teams.

"At first it was hard for me," donk admits when reflecting on his start in Spirit Academy. "I thought that I wasn’t ready for competitive play at that moment. I was upset because I felt that I wasn’t showing the level I’m capable of."
.
Regardless of his overall level in his first official matches, Spirit saw enough in donk to keep him on the academy roster when Patsi and S1ren were promoted to the main team at the end of the year.

donk continued to struggle to stamp his authority on Spirit Academy's games early in 2022, up until what felt like a watershed moment: WePlay Academy League Season 5. donk might not have been the force we have come to expect across the whole tournament, but his efforts in the play-in portion of the event helped carry his team into the playoffs, where they would eventually go on to secure second place.
.
donk's individual form began to trend upwards through the rest of the year, and this carried on into 2023. With increasing regularity, the young phenom was taking over games, putting up the kind of numbers tier-one fans have become used to seeing from him, and by early 2023, he was carrying Spirit Academy to deep runs and titles in CCT Europe Series events.
.
With donk's form truly taking shape and the academy team's growing success, it was only a matter of time before the struggling main team turned to their young stars. Spirit did so in July, bringing donk up to the main team alongside Artem "⁠ArtFr0st⁠" Kharitonov and Myroslav "⁠zont1x⁠" Plakhotia, the core that was the beating heart of the academy team's rapidly growing stature. donk did not get carried away as a result of his promotion, far from it. "Overall, for me, it meant only one thing: that I was going to a higher level, and that I would have to work more than I had worked before," donk simply states.

donk hit the ground running for the main team, racking up insane numbers as they plowed their way through tier-two competition in order to bed in their young talents. They won CCT North Europe Series 6 almost immediately after the academy stars were promoted, and finished second in CCT 2023 Online Finals 2 not long after.

Spirit then turned their sights to LAN competition, winning PARI Dunav Party and taking down Virtus.pro in the process. Still, donk refused to get carried away despite his streak of successes. "I didn't consider it a success," he says when reflecting on the aforementioned tournament victories. "It was just a sign that we were moving in the right direction and getting better."
.
By the end of the year, hype for Spirit and donk reached a fever pitch after they won BetBoom Dacha 2023. Not only was it a LAN event attended by a raft of top 10 and 15 sides, but Spirit won it in dramatic fashion, completing the first-ever BO5 reverse sweep at an international LAN over Virtus.pro. Throughout every modest success Spirit had racked up across 2023, donk had been at the forefront, and he was so once again at BetBoom Dacha. He picked up the MVP medal for his efforts, and the year ended with the entire community holding its breath as it awaited the arrival of donk's iteration of Spirit to tier-one play.

If possible, the anticipation for Spirit's efforts in 2024 were heightened even further in the off-season thanks to the dramatic signing of Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov. Thrice deemed a top 10 player in the world on HLTV's top 20, sh1ro was one of a precious few signings that Spirit could realistically make to improve their team on paper, and despite ArtFr0st performing well in a Spirit jersey, he could not argue with Spirit replacing him when sh1ro was available.

Thus, with the dawn of 2024 came intense curiosity and excitement for Spirit. They had signed one of the best AWPers in the world, sh1ro, to compliment the effervescent young talent of donk, and it was time for the squad to display what they were worth at the tier-one level. Would donk prove to be the revelation he appeared to be, and would Spirit be elevated with the signing of sh1ro?
.
The early signs were a little worrying. Spirit limped through the PGL Major Copenhagen closed qualifier with a loss to KOI and narrow wins over lesser opposition, but a confident 2-0 victory over MOUZ dispelled the worst of the concern.

IEM Katowice was to be Spirit and donk's first real test, their first chance to show what they were made of amongst the elite. It was a test they passed with flying colours, putting together perhaps the most incredible breakout tournament campaign of all time, with donk in utterly irresistible form as Spirit demolished everyone in their path, dropping a single map on their way to the trophy.

Natus Vincere, the third-ranked team in the world, were crushed by a 1.45-rated donk performance. FaZe, second in the world, fell in the group final to an utterly absurd 1.83-rated donk masterclass, with the Russian phenom racking up 120 ADR. He saved the best for last, however, producing a magnificent 124 ADR on his way to a 1.96 rating as he ran over FaZe across three maps in the final, racking up a staggering 82 kills.
.
It was a record-breaking, MVP-winning performance and an outrageously emphatic announcement of donk on the world stage. He equalled the Big Event rating record (1.70) in arguably a more difficult setting and context. He posted 1.11 KPR, 2.10 impact rating, and a whopping 79 multi-kill rounds. It was the single most impressive individual tournament performance of all time, bar none. donk had arrived.

"We came to this tournament without any expectations," donk admits when looking back at IEM Katowice. "We had only one goal — to play our game and get in shape, getting better from match to match. I really liked this whole competitive atmosphere, it’s off the charts at tournaments like this one." In typical fashion, donk refuses to get too excited when discussing his own record-breaking performance. "I don't care. It's nice and cool, of course, but without the team, I wouldn't have been able to give such a performance."
.
The powerful little Russian continued to menace teams as Spirit confidently qualified for PGL Major Copenhagen and BLAST Premier Spring final, topping the scoreboard in nearly every map he played. The tournament everyone was waiting for was up next, CS2's first Major, and all eyes were on donk as he headed to Copenhagen to attempt the unthinkable; win his first-ever Major.

Spirit's Major campaign began perfectly, with the team dominating the Elimination Stage. Not only was donk on fire, the rifler battered Imperial to the tune of 130 ADR and a 2.24 rating, but sh1ro was also in form. Natus Vincere took a map off Spirit in the playoff qualification bout, but were ultimately also swept aside with relative ease.

The stage seemed set for a Spirit Major victory, and for donk to quickly pen another successful chapter in his short biography thus far. Spirit had shown in Katowice that the stage pressure didn't get to them, and FaZe, their quarter-finals opponents, had already been bested by Spirit twice in Poland. Unfortunately for donk and his team, the pressure did seem to get to them in Copenhagen.
.
FaZe turned the screw on the first map of Mirage, and Spirit all seemed out of sorts. donk may have racked up solid ADR and a positive KDA, but he wasn't at his domineering best. He recovered on Nuke to guide Spirit to a decider, dropping a 30-bomb to seal a tight overtime battle. donk continued to perform well on Vertigo, but his teammates dropped the ball; sh1ro was missing all series long, and zont1x crumbled in multiple vital moments with the pressure mounting. His team slipped to defeat in another overtime scrap, and had to settle for a top-eight finish.

Upon reflection, donk feels Spirit were the better team going into that quarter-final. "It's sad that we lost, I think we were stronger as a team overall, and I think the veto was great for us." He admits that it was the psychological aspect of the game that let Spirit down. "Due to nerves, we lost to FaZe and got eliminated from the Major."
.
donk could hardly be faulted for Spirit's somewhat disappointing Major finish. He had certainly dropped off from the superlative level he displayed at Katowice, but that was simply not sustainable. He still produced an unparalleled level of fragging, 0.90 KPR, and was immensely impactful in most of the maps he played. He also racked up his impressive fragging numbers with six of his eight maps coming against the two eventual finalists, Natus Vincere and FaZe. Deservedly, he picked up an EVP mention for his efforts in his first Major appearance.

Across the next two events, Spirit proved they were not the force of dominance that was teased during IEM Katowice. First, the team could only take second-place at the medium-tier BetBoom Dacha Belgrade, being dominated in the grand final by the only other elite squad in attendance, MOUZ. donk earned the MVP nod in a 1.46-rated performance, continuing his excellent year, but the young starlet would prove in the next tournament that he was not infallible.
.
donk's first real wobble of the year came at IEM Dallas. After a string of donk-like performances saw his team march confidently through the group stage, the youngster took a back seat on the final map against FaZe, with sh1ro stepping up as donk had a rare off map. donk then suffered an even rarer off series against Vitality, proving fairly woeful on Dust2 before putting up a middling performance on the second map, and his team was ultimately eliminated with ease.

It was the first time we had seen donk really struggle at an event, but even then, he still posted a respectable 1.13 average rating and earned a VP mention, propped up by some scintillating maps in the group stage.

With many beginning to question just how good Spirit really were, they returned to their best at the season-ending BLAST Spring Final, in no small part due to another MVP-winning performance by donk. The aggressive rifler topped the scoreboard in every series he played bar one, resulting in him leading the event for ADR (92.8), KPR (0.88), and impact rating (1.45). Whilst his teammates had certainly put in strong performances around him, sh1ro was his top competition for the MVP award, donk continued to frag and provide impact like no other.
.
What came after the summer break was Spirit's toughest period of the season, and donk's poorest run of play. He struggled badly as G2 eliminated Spirit in the first round of the Esports World Cup's playoffs, a matchup that would haunt them for the rest of the year. Spirit then endured a disastrous IEM Cologne. The MongolZ sent them to the lower bracket where they were embarrassed by G2, 26-3 in two maps. donk posted the worst LAN map of his career to date in the second map, a 0.36-rated four-frag showing. This stint hurt donk's case for player of the year immensely.

"We lost confidence in ourselves," donk states when reflecting on Spirit's post-break slump, which he says was his worst moment of the year. "We stopped trusting and began to doubt our abilities." He is philosophical when musing on criticism of Spirit during that period. "I was indifferent. I couldn’t care less about what people said. I understood that we could get through this stage, and I believed that we would manage to do it. In general, there will always be criticism — there are as many opinions as there are people."
.
Following the low point of his year, donk and his team could not have had a better chance to bounce back than at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade Season 2. The field in Serbia was solid but lacking truly elite sides beyond MOUZ, the exact field Spirit needed to play themselves back into form and rediscover their confidence.

Spirit enjoyed the exact type of run they would have wanted in Belgrade. donk farmed Falcons and FURIA as they strolled into the upper final. MOUZ offered a far stiffer test there, but Spirit duly came through, with donk providing over 100 ADR in each of their map wins. MOUZ would falter in the consolidation final, thus presenting Spirit with an unfamiliar opponent in the form of Eternal Fire in the grand final. The resurgent Turks proved no match for Spirit and donk grabbed another MVP award for his efforts, another winner's medal, and Spirit were back on track.

Wow that is incredible!

[Reported.]

who is donk?

[𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟]

Originally posted by 🧮:

Originally posted by Sozin:

In his rookie year at tier-one, donk earns top billing on the top 20 players list thanks to his all-conquering raw numbers and record-breaking peaks.
.
Top 20 players of 2024: Introduction

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets cements his status as one of the greatest rookies in CS history, and matches the feat achieved by Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut in 2019, by earning the top spot on HLTV's top 20 players list in his first full year as a tier-one pro.

Whilst donk's talent for Counter-Strike may be mind-boggling, his origin story is very much a familiar one. He was introduced to 1.6 by his older brother at the tender age of five, and he engaged in the classic younger sibling pastime of peering over his brother's shoulder whilst he played. Eventually, donk's brother started to teach him the game.

donk switched over to CS:GO when his brother bought him the game on Steam, and an obsession quickly took over. "I realized that I was doing well and getting better each day," donk recalls. "I played 12 hours a day, practically without breaks." This grind paid off for the youngster, as he climbed the FACEIT Elo ladder and earned his opportunity to join a real team.
.
"I played and grinded FACEIT a lot," donk states. "I eventually reached 4000 Elo, and went to the hub to meet people and develop." It was through this hub, the CIS FACEIT League, that donk was noticed by Russian insider and Spirit scout Alexey "⁠OverDrive⁠" Birukov.

OverDrive invited donk to play some qualifiers with him, and the young rifler's talent was instantly apparent. "From the first game, it was crystal clear to understand his extremely high potential," OverDrive told HLTV when describing playing those test matches with donk in early 2021. "He was 14-years-old but thinking in-game like he was 20, and his aiming skills were unique."

Whilst most players spend time working their way up through the lower rungs of the professional ladder, playing for lesser teams to build experience and get their name out there, this wasn't the case for donk. Even ZywOo spent time on teams like aAa, bolstering his game time in proper matches before joining Vitality. donk's immense talent, and the opportunity offered by WePlay Academy League, ensured he enjoyed a unique journey to the top.
.
Spirit offered donk a spot on their academy roster, and, at the age of 14, the young Russian took his first steps into the professional scene. Despite his obvious ability and potential, there were faltering steps at first.

donk put up a handful of strong maps in his early days on Spirit Academy, but also plenty of bad maps. His ratings were often in the red and his KDA negative as Spirit Academy struggled to win many maps, even with soon-to-be main team players Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov and Pavel "⁠S1ren⁠" Ogloblin among their ranks. donk was playing against admittedly stiff opposition much of the time, good tier-two sides like ENCE and KOI (then Movistar Riders) to name a few, but he was often struggling even against the lesser teams.

"At first it was hard for me," donk admits when reflecting on his start in Spirit Academy. "I thought that I wasn’t ready for competitive play at that moment. I was upset because I felt that I wasn’t showing the level I’m capable of."
.
Regardless of his overall level in his first official matches, Spirit saw enough in donk to keep him on the academy roster when Patsi and S1ren were promoted to the main team at the end of the year.

donk continued to struggle to stamp his authority on Spirit Academy's games early in 2022, up until what felt like a watershed moment: WePlay Academy League Season 5. donk might not have been the force we have come to expect across the whole tournament, but his efforts in the play-in portion of the event helped carry his team into the playoffs, where they would eventually go on to secure second place.
.
donk's individual form began to trend upwards through the rest of the year, and this carried on into 2023. With increasing regularity, the young phenom was taking over games, putting up the kind of numbers tier-one fans have become used to seeing from him, and by early 2023, he was carrying Spirit Academy to deep runs and titles in CCT Europe Series events.
.
With donk's form truly taking shape and the academy team's growing success, it was only a matter of time before the struggling main team turned to their young stars. Spirit did so in July, bringing donk up to the main team alongside Artem "⁠ArtFr0st⁠" Kharitonov and Myroslav "⁠zont1x⁠" Plakhotia, the core that was the beating heart of the academy team's rapidly growing stature. donk did not get carried away as a result of his promotion, far from it. "Overall, for me, it meant only one thing: that I was going to a higher level, and that I would have to work more than I had worked before," donk simply states.

donk hit the ground running for the main team, racking up insane numbers as they plowed their way through tier-two competition in order to bed in their young talents. They won CCT North Europe Series 6 almost immediately after the academy stars were promoted, and finished second in CCT 2023 Online Finals 2 not long after.

Spirit then turned their sights to LAN competition, winning PARI Dunav Party and taking down Virtus.pro in the process. Still, donk refused to get carried away despite his streak of successes. "I didn't consider it a success," he says when reflecting on the aforementioned tournament victories. "It was just a sign that we were moving in the right direction and getting better."
.
By the end of the year, hype for Spirit and donk reached a fever pitch after they won BetBoom Dacha 2023. Not only was it a LAN event attended by a raft of top 10 and 15 sides, but Spirit won it in dramatic fashion, completing the first-ever BO5 reverse sweep at an international LAN over Virtus.pro. Throughout every modest success Spirit had racked up across 2023, donk had been at the forefront, and he was so once again at BetBoom Dacha. He picked up the MVP medal for his efforts, and the year ended with the entire community holding its breath as it awaited the arrival of donk's iteration of Spirit to tier-one play.

If possible, the anticipation for Spirit's efforts in 2024 were heightened even further in the off-season thanks to the dramatic signing of Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov. Thrice deemed a top 10 player in the world on HLTV's top 20, sh1ro was one of a precious few signings that Spirit could realistically make to improve their team on paper, and despite ArtFr0st performing well in a Spirit jersey, he could not argue with Spirit replacing him when sh1ro was available.

Thus, with the dawn of 2024 came intense curiosity and excitement for Spirit. They had signed one of the best AWPers in the world, sh1ro, to compliment the effervescent young talent of donk, and it was time for the squad to display what they were worth at the tier-one level. Would donk prove to be the revelation he appeared to be, and would Spirit be elevated with the signing of sh1ro?
.
The early signs were a little worrying. Spirit limped through the PGL Major Copenhagen closed qualifier with a loss to KOI and narrow wins over lesser opposition, but a confident 2-0 victory over MOUZ dispelled the worst of the concern.

IEM Katowice was to be Spirit and donk's first real test, their first chance to show what they were made of amongst the elite. It was a test they passed with flying colours, putting together perhaps the most incredible breakout tournament campaign of all time, with donk in utterly irresistible form as Spirit demolished everyone in their path, dropping a single map on their way to the trophy.

Natus Vincere, the third-ranked team in the world, were crushed by a 1.45-rated donk performance. FaZe, second in the world, fell in the group final to an utterly absurd 1.83-rated donk masterclass, with the Russian phenom racking up 120 ADR. He saved the best for last, however, producing a magnificent 124 ADR on his way to a 1.96 rating as he ran over FaZe across three maps in the final, racking up a staggering 82 kills.
.
It was a record-breaking, MVP-winning performance and an outrageously emphatic announcement of donk on the world stage. He equalled the Big Event rating record (1.70) in arguably a more difficult setting and context. He posted 1.11 KPR, 2.10 impact rating, and a whopping 79 multi-kill rounds. It was the single most impressive individual tournament performance of all time, bar none. donk had arrived.

"We came to this tournament without any expectations," donk admits when looking back at IEM Katowice. "We had only one goal — to play our game and get in shape, getting better from match to match. I really liked this whole competitive atmosphere, it’s off the charts at tournaments like this one." In typical fashion, donk refuses to get too excited when discussing his own record-breaking performance. "I don't care. It's nice and cool, of course, but without the team, I wouldn't have been able to give such a performance."
.
The powerful little Russian continued to menace teams as Spirit confidently qualified for PGL Major Copenhagen and BLAST Premier Spring final, topping the scoreboard in nearly every map he played. The tournament everyone was waiting for was up next, CS2's first Major, and all eyes were on donk as he headed to Copenhagen to attempt the unthinkable; win his first-ever Major.

Spirit's Major campaign began perfectly, with the team dominating the Elimination Stage. Not only was donk on fire, the rifler battered Imperial to the tune of 130 ADR and a 2.24 rating, but sh1ro was also in form. Natus Vincere took a map off Spirit in the playoff qualification bout, but were ultimately also swept aside with relative ease.

The stage seemed set for a Spirit Major victory, and for donk to quickly pen another successful chapter in his short biography thus far. Spirit had shown in Katowice that the stage pressure didn't get to them, and FaZe, their quarter-finals opponents, had already been bested by Spirit twice in Poland. Unfortunately for donk and his team, the pressure did seem to get to them in Copenhagen.
.
FaZe turned the screw on the first map of Mirage, and Spirit all seemed out of sorts. donk may have racked up solid ADR and a positive KDA, but he wasn't at his domineering best. He recovered on Nuke to guide Spirit to a decider, dropping a 30-bomb to seal a tight overtime battle. donk continued to perform well on Vertigo, but his teammates dropped the ball; sh1ro was missing all series long, and zont1x crumbled in multiple vital moments with the pressure mounting. His team slipped to defeat in another overtime scrap, and had to settle for a top-eight finish.

Upon reflection, donk feels Spirit were the better team going into that quarter-final. "It's sad that we lost, I think we were stronger as a team overall, and I think the veto was great for us." He admits that it was the psychological aspect of the game that let Spirit down. "Due to nerves, we lost to FaZe and got eliminated from the Major."
.
donk could hardly be faulted for Spirit's somewhat disappointing Major finish. He had certainly dropped off from the superlative level he displayed at Katowice, but that was simply not sustainable. He still produced an unparalleled level of fragging, 0.90 KPR, and was immensely impactful in most of the maps he played. He also racked up his impressive fragging numbers with six of his eight maps coming against the two eventual finalists, Natus Vincere and FaZe. Deservedly, he picked up an EVP mention for his efforts in his first Major appearance.

Across the next two events, Spirit proved they were not the force of dominance that was teased during IEM Katowice. First, the team could only take second-place at the medium-tier BetBoom Dacha Belgrade, being dominated in the grand final by the only other elite squad in attendance, MOUZ. donk earned the MVP nod in a 1.46-rated performance, continuing his excellent year, but the young starlet would prove in the next tournament that he was not infallible.
.
donk's first real wobble of the year came at IEM Dallas. After a string of donk-like performances saw his team march confidently through the group stage, the youngster took a back seat on the final map against FaZe, with sh1ro stepping up as donk had a rare off map. donk then suffered an even rarer off series against Vitality, proving fairly woeful on Dust2 before putting up a middling performance on the second map, and his team was ultimately eliminated with ease.

It was the first time we had seen donk really struggle at an event, but even then, he still posted a respectable 1.13 average rating and earned a VP mention, propped up by some scintillating maps in the group stage.

With many beginning to question just how good Spirit really were, they returned to their best at the season-ending BLAST Spring Final, in no small part due to another MVP-winning performance by donk. The aggressive rifler topped the scoreboard in every series he played bar one, resulting in him leading the event for ADR (92.8), KPR (0.88), and impact rating (1.45). Whilst his teammates had certainly put in strong performances around him, sh1ro was his top competition for the MVP award, donk continued to frag and provide impact like no other.
.
What came after the summer break was Spirit's toughest period of the season, and donk's poorest run of play. He struggled badly as G2 eliminated Spirit in the first round of the Esports World Cup's playoffs, a matchup that would haunt them for the rest of the year. Spirit then endured a disastrous IEM Cologne. The MongolZ sent them to the lower bracket where they were embarrassed by G2, 26-3 in two maps. donk posted the worst LAN map of his career to date in the second map, a 0.36-rated four-frag showing. This stint hurt donk's case for player of the year immensely.

"We lost confidence in ourselves," donk states when reflecting on Spirit's post-break slump, which he says was his worst moment of the year. "We stopped trusting and began to doubt our abilities." He is philosophical when musing on criticism of Spirit during that period. "I was indifferent. I couldn’t care less about what people said. I understood that we could get through this stage, and I believed that we would manage to do it. In general, there will always be criticism — there are as many opinions as there are people."
.
Following the low point of his year, donk and his team could not have had a better chance to bounce back than at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade Season 2. The field in Serbia was solid but lacking truly elite sides beyond MOUZ, the exact field Spirit needed to play themselves back into form and rediscover their confidence.

Spirit enjoyed the exact type of run they would have wanted in Belgrade. donk farmed Falcons and FURIA as they strolled into the upper final. MOUZ offered a far stiffer test there, but Spirit duly came through, with donk providing over 100 ADR in each of their map wins. MOUZ would falter in the consolidation final, thus presenting Spirit with an unfamiliar opponent in the form of Eternal Fire in the grand final. The resurgent Turks proved no match for Spirit and donk grabbed another MVP award for his efforts, another winner's medal, and Spirit were back on track.

Wow that is incredible!

[𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟]

Originally posted by Sozin:

who is donk?

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets
Team Spirit donk⁠

[Reported.]

Originally posted by 𝕃𝕖𝕠𝕟:

Originally posted by Sozin:

who is donk?

:uo::upp::uss:
Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets
Team Spirit donk⁠

In his rookie year at tier-one, donk earns top billing on the top 20 players list thanks to his all-conquering raw numbers and record-breaking peaks.
.
Top 20 players of 2024: Introduction

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets cements his status as one of the greatest rookies in CS history, and matches the feat achieved by Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut in 2019, by earning the top spot on HLTV's top 20 players list in his first full year as a tier-one pro.

Whilst donk's talent for Counter-Strike may be mind-boggling, his origin story is very much a familiar one. He was introduced to 1.6 by his older brother at the tender age of five, and he engaged in the classic younger sibling pastime of peering over his brother's shoulder whilst he played. Eventually, donk's brother started to teach him the game.

donk switched over to CS:GO when his brother bought him the game on Steam, and an obsession quickly took over. "I realized that I was doing well and getting better each day," donk recalls. "I played 12 hours a day, practically without breaks." This grind paid off for the youngster, as he climbed the FACEIT Elo ladder and earned his opportunity to join a real team.
.
"I played and grinded FACEIT a lot," donk states. "I eventually reached 4000 Elo, and went to the hub to meet people and develop." It was through this hub, the CIS FACEIT League, that donk was noticed by Russian insider and Spirit scout Alexey "⁠OverDrive⁠" Birukov.

OverDrive invited donk to play some qualifiers with him, and the young rifler's talent was instantly apparent. "From the first game, it was crystal clear to understand his extremely high potential," OverDrive told HLTV when describing playing those test matches with donk in early 2021. "He was 14-years-old but thinking in-game like he was 20, and his aiming skills were unique."

Whilst most players spend time working their way up through the lower rungs of the professional ladder, playing for lesser teams to build experience and get their name out there, this wasn't the case for donk. Even ZywOo spent time on teams like aAa, bolstering his game time in proper matches before joining Vitality. donk's immense talent, and the opportunity offered by WePlay Academy League, ensured he enjoyed a unique journey to the top.
.
Spirit offered donk a spot on their academy roster, and, at the age of 14, the young Russian took his first steps into the professional scene. Despite his obvious ability and potential, there were faltering steps at first.

donk put up a handful of strong maps in his early days on Spirit Academy, but also plenty of bad maps. His ratings were often in the red and his KDA negative as Spirit Academy struggled to win many maps, even with soon-to-be main team players Robert "⁠Patsi⁠" Isyanov and Pavel "⁠S1ren⁠" Ogloblin among their ranks. donk was playing against admittedly stiff opposition much of the time, good tier-two sides like ENCE and KOI (then Movistar Riders) to name a few, but he was often struggling even against the lesser teams.

"At first it was hard for me," donk admits when reflecting on his start in Spirit Academy. "I thought that I wasn’t ready for competitive play at that moment. I was upset because I felt that I wasn’t showing the level I’m capable of."
.
Regardless of his overall level in his first official matches, Spirit saw enough in donk to keep him on the academy roster when Patsi and S1ren were promoted to the main team at the end of the year.

donk continued to struggle to stamp his authority on Spirit Academy's games early in 2022, up until what felt like a watershed moment: WePlay Academy League Season 5. donk might not have been the force we have come to expect across the whole tournament, but his efforts in the play-in portion of the event helped carry his team into the playoffs, where they would eventually go on to secure second place.
.
donk's individual form began to trend upwards through the rest of the year, and this carried on into 2023. With increasing regularity, the young phenom was taking over games, putting up the kind of numbers tier-one fans have become used to seeing from him, and by early 2023, he was carrying Spirit Academy to deep runs and titles in CCT Europe Series events.
.
With donk's form truly taking shape and the academy team's growing success, it was only a matter of time before the struggling main team turned to their young stars. Spirit did so in July, bringing donk up to the main team alongside Artem "⁠ArtFr0st⁠" Kharitonov and Myroslav "⁠zont1x⁠" Plakhotia, the core that was the beating heart of the academy team's rapidly growing stature. donk did not get carried away as a result of his promotion, far from it. "Overall, for me, it meant only one thing: that I was going to a higher level, and that I would have to work more than I had worked before," donk simply states.

donk hit the ground running for the main team, racking up insane numbers as they plowed their way through tier-two competition in order to bed in their young talents. They won CCT North Europe Series 6 almost immediately after the academy stars were promoted, and finished second in CCT 2023 Online Finals 2 not long after.

Spirit then turned their sights to LAN competition, winning PARI Dunav Party and taking down Virtus.pro in the process. Still, donk refused to get carried away despite his streak of successes. "I didn't consider it a success," he says when reflecting on the aforementioned tournament victories. "It was just a sign that we were moving in the right direction and getting better."
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By the end of the year, hype for Spirit and donk reached a fever pitch after they won BetBoom Dacha 2023. Not only was it a LAN event attended by a raft of top 10 and 15 sides, but Spirit won it in dramatic fashion, completing the first-ever BO5 reverse sweep at an international LAN over Virtus.pro. Throughout every modest success Spirit had racked up across 2023, donk had been at the forefront, and he was so once again at BetBoom Dacha. He picked up the MVP medal for his efforts, and the year ended with the entire community holding its breath as it awaited the arrival of donk's iteration of Spirit to tier-one play.

If possible, the anticipation for Spirit's efforts in 2024 were heightened even further in the off-season thanks to the dramatic signing of Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov. Thrice deemed a top 10 player in the world on HLTV's top 20, sh1ro was one of a precious few signings that Spirit could realistically make to improve their team on paper, and despite ArtFr0st performing well in a Spirit jersey, he could not argue with Spirit replacing him when sh1ro was available.

Thus, with the dawn of 2024 came intense curiosity and excitement for Spirit. They had signed one of the best AWPers in the world, sh1ro, to compliment the effervescent young talent of donk, and it was time for the squad to display what they were worth at the tier-one level. Would donk prove to be the revelation he appeared to be, and would Spirit be elevated with the signing of sh1ro?
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The early signs were a little worrying. Spirit limped through the PGL Major Copenhagen closed qualifier with a loss to KOI and narrow wins over lesser opposition, but a confident 2-0 victory over MOUZ dispelled the worst of the concern.

IEM Katowice was to be Spirit and donk's first real test, their first chance to show what they were made of amongst the elite. It was a test they passed with flying colours, putting together perhaps the most incredible breakout tournament campaign of all time, with donk in utterly irresistible form as Spirit demolished everyone in their path, dropping a single map on their way to the trophy.

Natus Vincere, the third-ranked team in the world, were crushed by a 1.45-rated donk performance. FaZe, second in the world, fell in the group final to an utterly absurd 1.83-rated donk masterclass, with the Russian phenom racking up 120 ADR. He saved the best for last, however, producing a magnificent 124 ADR on his way to a 1.96 rating as he ran over FaZe across three maps in the final, racking up a staggering 82 kills.
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It was a record-breaking, MVP-winning performance and an outrageously emphatic announcement of donk on the world stage. He equalled the Big Event rating record (1.70) in arguably a more difficult setting and context. He posted 1.11 KPR, 2.10 impact rating, and a whopping 79 multi-kill rounds. It was the single most impressive individual tournament performance of all time, bar none. donk had arrived.

"We came to this tournament without any expectations," donk admits when looking back at IEM Katowice. "We had only one goal — to play our game and get in shape, getting better from match to match. I really liked this whole competitive atmosphere, it’s off the charts at tournaments like this one." In typical fashion, donk refuses to get too excited when discussing his own record-breaking performance. "I don't care. It's nice and cool, of course, but without the team, I wouldn't have been able to give such a performance."
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The powerful little Russian continued to menace teams as Spirit confidently qualified for PGL Major Copenhagen and BLAST Premier Spring final, topping the scoreboard in nearly every map he played. The tournament everyone was waiting for was up next, CS2's first Major, and all eyes were on donk as he headed to Copenhagen to attempt the unthinkable; win his first-ever Major.

Spirit's Major campaign began perfectly, with the team dominating the Elimination Stage. Not only was donk on fire, the rifler battered Imperial to the tune of 130 ADR and a 2.24 rating, but sh1ro was also in form. Natus Vincere took a map off Spirit in the playoff qualification bout, but were ultimately also swept aside with relative ease.

The stage seemed set for a Spirit Major victory, and for donk to quickly pen another successful chapter in his short biography thus far. Spirit had shown in Katowice that the stage pressure didn't get to them, and FaZe, their quarter-finals opponents, had already been bested by Spirit twice in Poland. Unfortunately for donk and his team, the pressure did seem to get to them in Copenhagen.
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FaZe turned the screw on the first map of Mirage, and Spirit all seemed out of sorts. donk may have racked up solid ADR and a positive KDA, but he wasn't at his domineering best. He recovered on Nuke to guide Spirit to a decider, dropping a 30-bomb to seal a tight overtime battle. donk continued to perform well on Vertigo, but his teammates dropped the ball; sh1ro was missing all series long, and zont1x crumbled in multiple vital moments with the pressure mounting. His team slipped to defeat in another overtime scrap, and had to settle for a top-eight finish.

Upon reflection, donk feels Spirit were the better team going into that quarter-final. "It's sad that we lost, I think we were stronger as a team overall, and I think the veto was great for us." He admits that it was the psychological aspect of the game that let Spirit down. "Due to nerves, we lost to FaZe and got eliminated from the Major."
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donk could hardly be faulted for Spirit's somewhat disappointing Major finish. He had certainly dropped off from the superlative level he displayed at Katowice, but that was simply not sustainable. He still produced an unparalleled level of fragging, 0.90 KPR, and was immensely impactful in most of the maps he played. He also racked up his impressive fragging numbers with six of his eight maps coming against the two eventual finalists, Natus Vincere and FaZe. Deservedly, he picked up an EVP mention for his efforts in his first Major appearance.

Across the next two events, Spirit proved they were not the force of dominance that was teased during IEM Katowice. First, the team could only take second-place at the medium-tier BetBoom Dacha Belgrade, being dominated in the grand final by the only other elite squad in attendance, MOUZ. donk earned the MVP nod in a 1.46-rated performance, continuing his excellent year, but the young starlet would prove in the next tournament that he was not infallible.
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donk's first real wobble of the year came at IEM Dallas. After a string of donk-like performances saw his team march confidently through the group stage, the youngster took a back seat on the final map against FaZe, with sh1ro stepping up as donk had a rare off map. donk then suffered an even rarer off series against Vitality, proving fairly woeful on Dust2 before putting up a middling performance on the second map, and his team was ultimately eliminated with ease.

It was the first time we had seen donk really struggle at an event, but even then, he still posted a respectable 1.13 average rating and earned a VP mention, propped up by some scintillating maps in the group stage.

With many beginning to question just how good Spirit really were, they returned to their best at the season-ending BLAST Spring Final, in no small part due to another MVP-winning performance by donk. The aggressive rifler topped the scoreboard in every series he played bar one, resulting in him leading the event for ADR (92.8), KPR (0.88), and impact rating (1.45). Whilst his teammates had certainly put in strong performances around him, sh1ro was his top competition for the MVP award, donk continued to frag and provide impact like no other.
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What came after the summer break was Spirit's toughest period of the season, and donk's poorest run of play. He struggled badly as G2 eliminated Spirit in the first round of the Esports World Cup's playoffs, a matchup that would haunt them for the rest of the year. Spirit then endured a disastrous IEM Cologne. The MongolZ sent them to the lower bracket where they were embarrassed by G2, 26-3 in two maps. donk posted the worst LAN map of his career to date in the second map, a 0.36-rated four-frag showing. This stint hurt donk's case for player of the year immensely.

"We lost confidence in ourselves," donk states when reflecting on Spirit's post-break slump, which he says was his worst moment of the year. "We stopped trusting and began to doubt our abilities." He is philosophical when musing on criticism of Spirit during that period. "I was indifferent. I couldn’t care less about what people said. I understood that we could get through this stage, and I believed that we would manage to do it. In general, there will always be criticism — there are as many opinions as there are people."
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Following the low point of his year, donk and his team could not have had a better chance to bounce back than at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade Season 2. The field in Serbia was solid but lacking truly elite sides beyond MOUZ, the exact field Spirit needed to play themselves back into form and rediscover their confidence.

Spirit enjoyed the exact type of run they would have wanted in Belgrade. donk farmed Falcons and FURIA as they strolled into the upper final. MOUZ offered a far stiffer test there, but Spirit duly came through, with donk providing over 100 ADR in each of their map wins. MOUZ would falter in the consolidation final, thus presenting Spirit with an unfamiliar opponent in the form of Eternal Fire in the grand final. The resurgent Turks proved no match for Spirit and donk grabbed another MVP award for his efforts, another winner's medal, and Spirit were back on track.