Danil ‘donk’ Kryshkovets is a name that everyone following Counter-Strike esports should be familiar with. This year, the superstar prodigy has marked himself as one of the most talented individuals to watch going forward, and after winning the Perfect World Shanghai Major, he has cemented himself as a record holder.
He’s the youngest Counter-Strike player to win a Major, the youngest to be named HLTV MVP, and he’s tied first for some of the highest ratings in competitive CS history. Coming out of the Team Spirit Academy and moving into the first team, he has racked up more prize money in one year than most pro players will make in ten.
Is there anything donk can’t do?
With all the makings of a game-wide GOAT, donk has managed to make a solid name for himself in a matter of months. Last year, he made his way into Team Spirit’s starting lineup in CS:GO, and then underwent the transition that everyone else made, moving over to CS2.
Since then, donk has exploded.
He just won the Shanghai Major, becoming the youngest CS player in history to net the achievement, and he was named MVP of the event, which is his fifth this year at a ‘big’ event. He was previously named MVP at IEM Katowice, a legendary event that kickstarted months of success for donk – and the rest of Team Spirit.
Few players have managed to secure more MVP awards in a single year – the likes of s1mple, ZywOo, and device come to mind.
As the Shanghai Major unfolded, donk racked up four aces, one of which was secured in the grand final against FaZe Clan – which was yet another record picked up by the 17-year-old competitor.
That move was preceded in the group stage of the Shanghai Major by a stunning 1v5 against Heroic. Later on in the tournament, Heroic would be sent home by G2 Esports.
All in all, this has been a stunning rookie year for donk, who has pieced together almost half a million dollars in earnings thus far.
What’s even more amazing is how humble donk has been through all this. Earlier this year, he spoke to BLAST and said:
I’ve won some big trophies in my first season. We’ve shown good results but we should also do better and keep our routine to work harder.
I’m not very consistent yet. I need to find my key to playing consistently, and I’m trying to do that right now.
When asked if he sees himself as one of the top three players in the world, he said:
I don’t think I am, no.
It’s m0NESY, ZywOo, and sh1ro.
With donk, the sky is the limit, and there are high expectations that he’ll become one of the greatest esports competitors of all time.
Where do you place donk in your top CS players ranking? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.
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