Donk: Practices 10 hours a day, focusing on personal growth

Sixteen-year-old Russian prodigy Danil Kryshkovets, known as donk, is currently representing Spirit at the BB Dacha tournament held in Dubai. During this event, he granted an interview to Russian media outlets.

Q: Who do you think, among the players in Spirit's youth academy, will prove themselves in the professional team?

A: I believe it's Kirill Rodnov | Magnojez. He has a strong ability to seize opportunities, outstanding skills, and quick reactions. He's an excellent player.

Q: Why do you prefer playing matches against people rather than training with bots or running maps on an empty server?

A: The best training is real matches. For me, playing a match against someone is more effective than spending an hour in Deathmatch or bot training.

Q: Do you often watch demos?

A: Yes, but it depends. If there are aspects I don't understand, I watch the recordings. I could spend two hours or even longer rewatching them. With the time spent watching demos, I train for over 10 hours a day.

Q: You mentioned that playing Deathmatch (DM) doesn't affect your performance in matches much. Why is that?

A: The situations in DM and actual matches are very different. Many situations in matches don't occur in DM, where the focus is more on judgment and reading the game. Matches require more strategic thinking, unlike DM where everything is random.

Q: Many young players opt for the AWP due to their age advantage in reaction time. Why did you choose rifles?

A: It's based on the team's role distribution. I've played with someone who's excellent with the AWP, and I didn't want to take away their strong weapon. When I use the AWP, I feel limited. Holding the AWP means you have to constantly consider your positioning, which isn't an issue with the AK. I feel more freedom with rifles.

Q: OverDrive mentioned seeing your potential from your first match. Do you remember those matches?

A: I only remember one match on Nuke, and that's it.

Q: You were born in Tomsk. Can you describe the living environment in western Siberia?

A: It's not bad, just very cold, extremely cold. I could only stay indoors and play games.

Q: Does your high in-game ping affect you?

A: Not really, you get used to it. I know how to overcome high latency.

Q: How do your parents feel about your interest in CS?

A: Playing games hasn't really impacted my grades. As long as I study well, there's no problem. When I was 15, I improved my grades, and those issues between my parents and me disappeared.

Q: Why did you choose to start your professional career in Spirit Academy? Was it the only choice?

A: It wasn't the only choice but the best one. I knew I would have an experienced mentor—Sergey Shavaev | hally, who previously coached Espada and has a wealth of experience. Then Dmitry Forostyanko | S0tF1k, as the team's coach, had a great positive influence on me. He taught me a lot, and I have great respect for him due to his vast competitive experience.

Q: Do you remember your first offline match? Is there a big difference compared to now?

A: I remember it was in a basement with ten computers set face to face, and we played in that environment. There's indeed a huge difference compared to now.

Q: Were the other players much older than you back then?

A: Yes, I was the youngest player.

Q: Was it challenging to communicate with them?

A: Not really. They were a crazy bunch. If I took down one of them, they would joke about it, saying, 'How did a little kid take my head?' It was funny.

Q: As an esports player, traveling frequently can be demanding. Is that difficult for you?

A: I haven't experienced high-frequency travel yet, so it's hard to answer now. But based on my experience in the offline matches of the BB Dacha, I don't think it's a difficult thing. With time, I believe I'll get used to it.

Q: How do you prepare for matches?

A: I adjust my state of mind by listening to music.

Q: Any particular favorite music?

A: It depends. Last time during an offline match, I listened to Brazilian punk. Now, I'm into rap.

Q: Many people see you as a future star. What are your thoughts on this?

A: Honestly, I haven't thought about it. Right now, I'm focused on personal growth. If I continue training and competing as I am now, staying passionate and focused, then I'm sure I'll have a bright future.

Q: Does excessive external attention bother you?

A: Initially, it was annoying. Too much external attention made me feel uncomfortable and very awkward, but it's much better now than when it started.

Q: Last question, how would you describe the relationship among your teammates?

A: I'd say it's very harmonious. The teammates are friendly, more than just colleagues but not quite family. Describing them as good friends would be more accurate.