donk after Cologne triumph: “It’s an amazing feeling — a very strong relief.”

donk after Cologne triumph: “It’s an amazing feeling — a very strong relief.”

Team Spirit’s 18‑year‑old star Danil “donk” Kryshkovets said he felt “very strong relief” after Spirit swept MOUZ 3–0 to win IEM Cologne 2025 at the LANXESS Arena. Speaking to HLTV after the final, donk explained that last year’s top‑16 exit in Cologne had weighed on him: “I did a lot of work and had a lot of pain during this hard work, and now I feel like this hard work paid off.” 

The victory completes Counter‑Strike’s modern “trifecta” for Spirit — IEM Katowice, a Major, and IEM Cologne — all won within roughly 18 months, with donk taking MVP at each stop. Spirit previously crushed FaZe 3–0 to lift IEM Katowice 2024, where donk posted a record‑level Big Event rating and earned MVP, and later won the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, where he became the youngest and highest‑rated Major MVP. 

In Cologne, Spirit’s run included topping their group to go straight to the semifinals, beating NAVI 2–1 to reach the title match, and then a one‑sided best‑of‑five over MOUZ in the final. HLTV’s matchday coverage described the grand final as “comfortable” for Spirit, and later confirmed donk as the tournament’s MVP — his ninth HLTV MVP award. 

The event also marked a strong debut at a Big Event for Ivan “zweih” Gogin (17), who joined Spirit in July to replace long‑time rifler Boris “magixx” Vorobiev. donk praised the newcomer’s composure against elite opposition and said the team’s preparation, calling, and communication peaked on finals day. Spirit announced zweih’s signing and magixx’s benching earlier in the offseason. 

HLTV’s Cologne hub and live blogs captured the wider storyline: MOUZ arrived in the final after outlasting Vitality in the semifinals, while Spirit extended a recent head‑to‑head edge over NAVI. With Cologne secured — and MVP confirmed — donk’s résumé now features MVP medals from Katowice 2024, the Shanghai Major 2024, and Cologne 2025, underscoring why many already place him at the center of the era’s conversation.