Spirit crush FlyQuest in BLAST Open London closed qualifiers

Team Spirit swept FlyQuest 2–0 in the Group B upper-bracket quarter-final of the BLAST Open London 2025 online stage, conceding just nine rounds across two maps. Spirit won Mirage 13–4 and Dust2 13–5, advancing to face the winner of FURIA vs Legacy in the next round. HLTV’s match page confirms the veto order (Spirit removed Inferno; FlyQuest removed Train; Spirit picked Mirage; FlyQuest picked Dust2) and the lopsided scorelines. 

How the series was won

On Mirage, Spirit jumped out to an 8–4 half on CT and closed 5–0 after the switch. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets led with a 1.80 Rating 3.0 on the map; Ivan “zweih” Gogin and Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov also posted strong efficiencies. Dust2 was similar: 7–5 at the half, then 6–0 to finish, with donk’s 2.29 and Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov’s 1.65 powering a clean second half. Over the series, donk finished 48–18 K-D, 126 ADR, 2.05 Rating 3.0; sh1ro and zweih rounded out a dominant top three. (Full stat lines and splits are logged on HLTV.) 

Context: Spirit’s form and recent achievements

The result fits Spirit’s 2025 trajectory. Earlier this month the team lifted the IEM Cologne 2025 trophy, where donk claimed tournament MVP, adding to his haul from Katowice and the season’s first Major; HLTV’s recap framed it as the phenom’s ninth MVP and a completion of CS’s “iconic trio” in a year and a half. In a follow-up interview, donk said Spirit still “need to beat Vitality to become the best team in the world,” underscoring the standard Spirit are chasing. 

This FlyQuest meeting was also a repeat of an earlier 2025 series: Spirit beat FlyQuest 2–0 at BLAST Rivals in April (Mirage/Nuke), a reminder that this matchup has recently tilted heavily toward the Russians. 

What this means for BLAST Open London

BLAST converted its group stage to online play (Aug 27–Sep 1) “to reduce travel strain and ease logistical pressures,” with the playoffs to be held in London’s OVO Arena Wembley (Sep 5–7). Six of the 16 online teams will earn Wembley spots. HLTV’s event hub lists the format, dates and prize split, while the separate Finals page confirms the Wembley weekend and the $330k prize pool there. 

The team list for London shifted in the lead-up: Fnatic replaced HEROIC (roster eligibility/visa issues), and Team Liquid replaced The MongolZ (visa issues). Those updates were announced by both HLTV and Esports Insider. 

What’s next

With this win, Spirit move forward in the upper bracket; FlyQuest fall to the Group B lower bracket. The BLAST schedule and broadcast have Spirit’s subsequent matches on the rolling two-day slate (Aug 27–28) before the bracket progresses toward the six Wembley berths. 

Key takeaways

• Score & veto: Spirit 2–0 FlyQuest (Mirage 13–4, Dust2 13–5; Inferno/Train removed; Mirage/Dust2 picked).

• Top performers: donk 2.05 series rating (map highs 1.80, 2.29), sh1ro and zweih impactful throughout.

• Form line: Spirit enter London groups as reigning IEM Cologne champions, with donk as MVP.

• Event structure: Groups online, playoffs at OVO Arena Wembley; six tickets to the LAN Finals.

• Roster news around the event: Fnatic in for HEROIC, Liquid in for The MongolZ amid eligibility/visa issues.