donk Ranks Himself Below ZywOo in 2025 CS2 Player Rankings

Team Spirit star Danil “donk” Kryshkovets has named Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut as the best CS2 player of 2025, placing himself second in his personal top five. The ranking was revealed in a BLAST Premier segment and has reignited the ongoing debate over who truly dominated Counter-Strike 2 this season.

donk’s Top 5 CS2 Players of 2025

According to donk, the best players of the 2025 CS2 season are:

1. ZywOo (Vitality)

2. donk (Team Spirit)

3. ropz (Vitality)

4. sh1ro (Team Spirit)

5. m0NESY (Falcons)

The list immediately stood out because donk — widely considered ZywOo’s main rival for the title of best CS2 player in 2025 — chose to rank himself lower than the Vitality superstar.

Pro players favor ZywOo over donk in 2025 rankings

During the same BLAST Premier feature, several professional players were asked to share their own top-5 lists for 2025. While variations existed, a clear trend emerged:
ZywOo was most often placed at No.1, with donk consistently appearing at No.2.

This reflects a broader consensus among players that, despite donk’s explosive mechanical impact, ZywOo’s consistency and tournament influence still set him apart in year-end rankings.

HLTV Top 20 and awards context

The discussion comes at a crucial moment, as HLTV has begun unveiling its Top 20 Players of 2025, with the top three set to be officially announced at the HLTV Awards 2025 in Belgrade.

Historically, these rankings heavily influence how the season is remembered — and whether raw statistics or championship impact carry more weight in determining the world’s best CS2 player.

donk vs ZywOo: stats vs trophies debate

From a statistical perspective, donk holds an edge in several HLTV big-event metrics, including overall Rating 3.0 for 2025. His aggressive rifling style and round-winning ability made him one of the most dominant individuals in CS2 this year.

However, at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, HLTV ranked ZywOo as the tournament’s best player, ahead of ropz and donk. Performances at Majors traditionally play a decisive role in year-end evaluations, strengthening ZywOo’s case for the No.1 spot.

donk explains his team-first mindset

In a recent HLTV interview, donk hinted at how his own evaluation criteria may have evolved:

“I became more mature and now I’m thinking about winning the game as a team, not as a star player.”

This perspective may explain why the Team Spirit rifler is comfortable placing ZywOo above himself — valuing overall impact and winning above individual dominance.

Analysts disagree: donk still has supporters

Not everyone agrees with donk’s assessment. Analyst and caster Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg released his own 2025 player rankings, placing donk at No.1 and ZywOo at No.2, emphasizing individual firepower and statistical superiority.

This split highlights just how close the race for best CS2 player of 2025 remains heading into the final awards.

Final thoughts

donk ranking himself below ZywOo underscores how narrow the gap is between the two superstars. With HLTV’s final verdict still unfolding, the rivalry between donk and ZywOo is shaping up to be one of the defining narratives of CS2’s competitive era.

Whether stats or silverware decide the winner, one thing is clear: 2025 belonged to both donk and ZywOo — and the debate isn’t ending anytime soon.