“donk Transfer Rumours Dismissed as Team Spirit Prepare for ESL Pro League Season 22”

“donk Transfer Rumours Dismissed as Team Spirit Prepare for ESL Pro League Season 22”

Tension briefly rippled through the international CS2 scene this week when reports surfaced suggesting that rising star rifler Danil “donk” Kryshkovets might be on the verge of leaving Team Spirit – but the story has now been strongly denied by the organisation’s scouting lead, putting the speculation to rest… at least for now.

The emergence of the rumours

On 19 September 2025, a post on X (formerly Twitter) by account @CS2_bo3gg claimed:

“DONK MAY LEAVE SPIRIT – possibly in case of failure at the Major‼️ donk is currently working on his English. If Spirit underperform at the Major in Budapest, he may consider moving to an international team.”

The message identified an “insider” known as KRL as its source, and noted that donk is working on his English in preparation for a potential move. The post caused a stir in the community given donk’s growing profile and the fact that the next major tournament on Spirit’s calendar is the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. Several Chinese and CIS-based content creators echoed the rumour, adding fuel to the fire. 

The denial and context

Rather than waiting for the topic to escalate, Team Spirit’s scout and insider, Aleksey “OverDrive” Biryukov, publicly weighed in almost immediately. On his Telegram channel he dismissed the claims as “KRL drank something too much”, with the mocking suggestion that donk’s only imminent transfer was “from Stockholm airport to the hotel”. 

OverDrive’s statement also clarified that if any organisation truly wished to acquire donk, the buy-out would be “massive” and not something arranged casually. Therefore, the rumour is widely considered by the organisation and many analysts to be unfounded speculation rather than credible transfer news. 

donk’s status, value and recent form

Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, born 25 January 2007 in Tomsk, is one of the most exciting young talents in CS2. He has drawn widespread attention since being promoted from Team Spirit’s academy in July 2023 alongside ArtFr0st and zont1x. 

According to EsCharts, he has earned over US $791,619 in prize-money thus far and remains contracted to Team Spirit. His performance during the past two seasons has been exceptional: he helped Spirit win several major trophies including the PGL Astana 2025 and IEM Cologne 2025, and he has amassed multiple MVP awards. (Some of these accomplishments are covered in his Wikipedia profile. 

Given his youth and the premium on top CS2 talent, any transfer rumours involving donk naturally attract attention. However, the Team Spirit side appears firm: they view donk as a long-term asset and emphasise his importance to their future success.

Team Spirit’s current roster and upcoming tournament

As the team prepares for ESL Pro League Season 22 (with Stage 2 starting on 4 October 2025), the focus is firmly business-oriented. Spirit recently added new man Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich to the main roster, further signalling their intent to compete at the highest level rather than entertain mid-season shake-ups. 

During the tournament, Spirit made an excellent start: they defeated G2 Esports 2-0 (13-8 Dust2, 13-9 Mirage) on 6 October to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs. donk recorded standout numbers in that match, illustrating that his status within the team remains solid. 

However, the road has not been entirely smooth: Spirit were later eliminated by FaZe Clan in clean fashion (2-0) during the playoffs, which raises questions about whether stability in roster is enough to produce the results expected. 

Why the rumours might have arisen

While Team Spirit have strongly rejected the notion that donk is leaving imminently, the original rumours did reflect some real talking points:

• Young talent with a buy-out value: Given donk’s impressive trajectory, it is plausible that other top organisations might have an interest.

• Language aspiration mentioned: The rumour claimed donk was studying English to facilitate an international move. Whether this is true or just speculation, many CIS players do aim to improve English for broader team opportunities.

• Tournament pressure: The rumour linked donk’s potential departure to a disappointing result at the upcoming Major. With major events being high-stakes for both players and organisations, such narratives often emerge in the weeks before them.

• Timing and information vacuum: The post appeared shortly before the Budapest Major, a window when many pieces of information can bleed out via social media and unverified leaks. Without an official comment, rumours proliferate easily.

What this means for Spirit and the CS2 transfer market

For Spirit, the handling of the situation appears to show maturity: they acknowledged the rumours and responded quickly, attempting to control narrative and reassure fans. The retention of donk is important for their continuity – sudden changes to a young core could risk destabilising performance.

For the broader CS2 market, the episode underscores several trends:

• Big-name rosters remain relatively stable. Organisations with championship aspirations are less inclined to make impulsive roster changes, especially around major events.

• Youth talent like donk is under particular scrutiny. With buy-out demands high, organisations may worry about poaching or speculation even when no real move is being planned.

• Rumours often amplify the player’s perceived value, but the reality behind the scenes may differ. Media-driven speculation remains an unavoidable part of the esports ecosystem.

Final Word

At present, there is no credible indication that Danil “donk” Kryshkovets will be leaving Team Spirit in the immediate future. The speculation appears to have been dismissed with little official basis and a quick organisational response. What remains clear is that donk continues to fulfil a pivotal role within Spirit’s roster, and the organisation is committed to building around him.

That said, given his talent, age and market value, it remains possible that a transfer could occur at the right time and under the right conditions. But for now – and at least through ESL Pro League Season 22 – it appears that donk will stay put with Team Spirit and focus on competing rather than moving.

As always in esports, circumstances can change quickly, and the transfer window remains open in many senses. For now though, this window has been closed – at least for donk and Spirit.