Pimp backs donk to take top spot in Player of the Year race

Danish analyst and former pro Jacob “Pimp” Winneche has weighed in on the ever-heated Player of the Year debate — and in his view, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets is the front-runner to finish No. 1 in the end-of-year rankings.

Pimp shared his take alongside a personal shortlist, making it clear that the list reflects his own criteria rather than an attempt to “predict HLTV.” In the disclaimer attached to his ranking, Pimp stressed that it is subjective, and that he is leaning more heavily on pure individual level than on silverware and accolades. 

That approach naturally elevates donk in any conversation about the year’s best player. Pimp has repeatedly praised Spirit’s star as the standout individual force in the scene, describing donk as the best player in the world “right now,” and implying the gap is significant. While the broader community debate often pivots between raw impact and trophy count, Pimp’s angle is straightforward: if you’re judging the year primarily by ceiling, consistency in duels, and round-winning power, donk is his pick.

The timing of the discussion also comes with historical context: donk is not just a breakout star — he already has a proven “best in the world” track record in the most recent completed season. He closed 2024 by winning the Perfect World Shanghai Major with Team Spirit and securing the Major MVP, breaking multiple all-time records in the process.  Shortly after, HLTV officially crowned him Player of the Year for 2024 and placed him No. 1 in their annual Top 20 list, underlining that his peak is not theoretical — it has already translated to the highest-level results. 

Still, Pimp emphasized that his ranking framework is personal, and that a different weighting system — especially one that prioritizes titles, MVP runs, and “big-match” team success — can lead to a different No. 1.  That nuance matters, because the current era has no shortage of superstar-level campaigns across the elite tier.

The “next donk” conversations, and kyousuke’s arrival at tier one

The individual-skill debate doesn’t end with donk. In 2025, the scene has also been flooded with hype around Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin — first as Spirit Academy’s latest headline prospect, then as a tier-one addition after Falcons secured his signing. 

Before kyousuke’s move, NiKo publicly praised the youngster and drew a stylistic comparison that instantly fueled the spotlight: he said kyousuke “reminds me a bit of myself,” pointing to his shooting and willingness to go for “flashy plays.”  HLTV also reported that kyousuke’s reputation had grown to the point where multiple Top 20 players selected him as a “Bold Prediction,” reinforcing the idea that the hype wasn’t coming only from fans. 

When kyousuke finally debuted at tier one at IEM Cologne, his own post-match reaction matched the personality many had come to expect from his interviews: calm, minimalistic, and almost dismissive of the occasion. “I don’t care how big the tournament is. I just play,” he told HLTV after his first tier-one win, framing the moment as simply another server to load into.  That composure has been a recurring theme in his public comments — even earlier in the year, he downplayed LAN nerves and spoke in blunt, goal-oriented terms about progression and ambitions. 

Why Pimp’s take resonates

Pimp’s argument — even as a self-labelled subjective view — taps into a real tension in how fans evaluate greatness: do you reward the player with the most trophies, or the one who looks the most unstoppable regardless of the cabinet?

By choosing to slightly deprioritize achievements and lean into “pure individual level,” Pimp is essentially saying that donk’s year should be judged by what he does inside rounds: opening fights, conversion rate, pressure handling, and the ability to take over maps against top opposition. And with donk’s recent history already including Major-winning, MVP-level dominance, the case becomes even easier to sell — even to those who normally demand titles as the deciding factor. 

For now, the key takeaway is simple: Pimp has donk as his personal No. 1 based on an eye-test-and-impact-heavy philosophy — and he’s openly acknowledging that other rankings may change depending on what you value most.