flameZ on donk’s 1v5 vs Vitality: “We rewatched it — there was no way out”

Team Vitality rifler Shahar “flameZ” Shushan has reflected on Danil “donk” Kryshkovets’ already-iconic 1v5 clutch on Nuke, admitting that even after rewatching the round in detail, Vitality felt they had “no real chance” to stop it.

The Israeli discussed the moment on HLTV Confirmed, shortly after Vitality’s dramatic 2–1 victory over Team Spirit in the BLAST Rivals Fall 2025 quarter-final in Hong Kong.

“We rewatched the round and still saw no way out”

FlameZ joked that Vitality might be the only tier-one team this year to lose two separate 1v5 situations — one to donk, and another to Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo of MOUZ.

He added that Vitality had already thrown “a lot of clutches” last season, but the roster’s mentality remains strong: even if someone steals a 1v5 from them, they still believe they can recover and win the match.

On the Nuke clutch itself, flameZ explained that a 1v5 usually comes from the favored team making major mistakes — but donk is the exception. As he put it on HLTV’s social channels:
“If you lose a 1v5 to donk, it’s because he’s donk. If it’s anyone else, then you played like bots.”

After the match, Vitality rewatched the round from their POV, pausing multiple times, only to conclude that there were almost no realistic ways to shut it down once donk found his first kill.

How donk’s 1v5 happened

The clutch took place on Nuke, map two of the quarter-final in Hong Kong.

Key details:

It occurred in round 22, with Spirit trailing 9–12 on the T side.

Donk was left alone in a 1v5 with a Galil.

He cleared the A site, recovered the bomb, planted, and then shut down multiple retake attempts. He completed the ace without reloading, according to POV breakdowns.

The miracle clutch saved Spirit from map point and forced overtime.

Vitality eventually won Nuke 19–16 in double OT, later taking Mirage to win the series 2–1.

HLTV’s match report described the play as a “highlight-of-the-year contender,” emphasizing how critical it was in extending the map.

Reactions from pros and the community

The round immediately went viral across Twitch, YouTube, Instagram, X, and Reddit, sparking countless POV uploads and reaction montages.

FL4MUS on donk: “How insanely strong Dania is”

Russian rifler Timur “FL4MUS” Mariev praised donk’s Galil ace, calling the round “pure madness” and saying it demonstrated just how strong the young star is.

Cybersport’s breakdown noted that Spirit were trailing 9–12, and donk’s lone-hero play not only flipped the round but dragged the map into overtime against all odds.

Broadcast talent & highlight packages

HLTV’s playoff highlights video labeled the moment “donk ruins mezii A hold triple with Galil 1v5”, pointing out how he reversed what should have been a locked-down round by William “mezii” Merriman.

Commentator Conner “Scrawny” Girvan remarked, “donk is a lot, but not always enough,” summing up how often Spirit rely on his explosive impact.

On Reddit, many fans called the clutch “unreal,” with some joking they would report a player for cheating if they saw that performance in matchmaking.

Donk’s growing clutch legacy

The Nuke ace was the second 1v5 of donk’s CS2 career, once again pulled off with a Galil and at a crucial scoreline.

His first came at the Shanghai Major 2024 against HEROIC, where he delivered a 1v5 on Mirage on map point, during a series in which he posted a rating well above 1.5 and massive ADR.

These high-pressure, low-economy miracle rounds have cemented donk as one of the most mechanically gifted and explosive players in modern Counter-Strike.

Vitality’s view: “Exactly the game we needed”

In a separate post-match interview, flameZ described Vitality’s win over Spirit as “exactly the game we needed to get back into form,” even though it nearly slipped away due to plays like the 1v5.

He noted:

The series felt like a grand final in terms of intensity and communication.

Vitality are focusing more on developing a strong six-map pool ahead of the next Major.

To deal with donk, he believes teams need heavy utility, structured trading, and constant pressure — though Vitality can “balance things out” thanks to stars like Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and Robin “ropz” Kool.

Vitality’s win secured their spot in the semi-final against Team Falcons, continuing a season where they are regularly measured against Spirit and other top-tier contenders.

A long-running mini-rivalry: flameZ vs donk

This clutch is another chapter in the ongoing competitive storyline between flameZ and donk.

At IEM Katowice 2025, flameZ said he “wants to beat donk in a grand final.”

At BLAST Rivals Spring 2025, Vitality eliminated Spirit again — including wins on Mirage and Nuke.

Once again in Hong Kong, Vitality won the series, but donk delivered the most memorable moment.

Tournament context

BLAST Rivals Fall 2025 runs from 12–16 November with a $350,000 prize pool and teams like Vitality, Spirit, Falcons, FURIA, and paiN. Many squads are using the event as a final stress test before the upcoming StarLadder Major in Budapest.