Donk does not consider himself in peak form after Spirit 's EWC 2026 triumph
Donk does not consider himself in peak form after Spirit ’s EWC 2026 triumph
Spirit star Danil “ Donk ” Kryshkovets reflected on the team’s hard-fought victory over FUT in the Esports World Cup 2026 grand final during an interview with HLTV.org.
Spirit won the series 3:1, while Donk produced the best individual performance of any player at the event. Despite both the championship and his MVP-level showing, the player believes there is still considerable room for improvement, both individually and as a team.
Donk called FUT a difficult opponent
According to Donk , FUT presented Spirit with several challenges, not only through their gameplay but also because of their preparation and advantage in the map veto.
Spirit had very little time to prepare after finishing its previous match late in the evening.
“It was difficult, but we also finished playing at 10 p.m. and had no time to prepare at all. In that regard, they had a huge advantage. They also had an advantage in the veto.”
Donk also highlighted FUT’s decision to pick Cache. Spirit expected the team to ban Dust2 but did not anticipate Cache becoming the opening map.
“We knew they would ban Dust2, but honestly, we did not expect them to pick Cache.”
Spirit did not want to reveal its preparation for FUT
One of the notable aspects of FUT’s play was its tendency to take aggressive peeks in certain situations. Spirit punished this approach several times, including on Anubis, where one such moment led to an important clutch while playing at a disadvantage.
When asked whether Spirit had specifically prepared for this tendency, Donk chose not to reveal any details.
“I don’t know. Who knows? I don’t want to reveal anything.”
He also emphasized how quickly situations can change in CS2 , making improvisation an essential part of playing out rounds.
“There are many details in CS, and everything changes every moment, every second. Sometimes you have to finish the round in a direction you did not expect at the beginning.”
According to Donk , unexpected developments can leave teams with only 15–20 seconds to execute the final part of a round.
Donk does not consider his form to be at its peak
Despite Spirit ’s victory and his individual MVP award, Donk does not believe he has reached his peak.
He said he arrived at the tournament in strong form but still sees multiple areas where both he and Spirit can improve.
“I think I came to this tournament in great form, but I still see many things I can improve and things we can work on as a team. I would say this is not the point where I will stop.”
For Donk , winning the Esports World Cup represents another step forward rather than an endpoint. Even after securing a major title, he believes Spirit must continue developing its game.
Spirit won alongside its Dota 2 roster’s triumph
Donk also spoke about Spirit ’s Dota 2 roster winning The International.
The Dota 2 final took place almost simultaneously with the CS2 team’s deciding match, meaning the players only learned about the result after securing their own championship.
According to Donk , the players had their phones taken away before the match, while management chose not to reveal the result of The International final until their own series had concluded.
“We only found out after we won. After we lifted the trophy and broke FUT’s key, our manager said, ‘Our Dota team won TI.’”
Spirit therefore secured two major titles on the same day. The organization’s Dota 2 roster claimed its third victory at The International, while the CS2 team added the Esports World Cup championship to Spirit ’s success.
Donk admitted that he would also be interested in seeing how the organization’s CEO reacted to the double triumph.
“It is great. This is already their third TI. I don’t even know how to put it. It would be interesting to see our CEO’s reaction.”
