ZywOo Misses donk’s All-Time IEM Record Despite Historic 1.59 Rating at IEM Kraków 2026

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut produced one of the greatest individual tournament performances in Counter-Strike history at IEM Kraków 2026, finishing the event with a 1.59 HLTV rating.

The French superstar secured second place on the all-time rating leaderboard across the IEM Katowice/Kraków legacy — narrowly missing the legendary benchmark set by Team Spirit’s Danil “donk” Kryshkovets.

ZywOo now owns the No.2 rating in IEM Katowice/Kraków history

Despite lifting the trophy and earning MVP, ZywOo could not surpass donk’s historic 1.70 rating from IEM Katowice 2024, which still stands as the most dominant performance ever recorded in the event series.

Top ratings in Katowice/Kraków history

1. donk — 1.70 (IEM Katowice 2024)

2. ZywOo — 1.59 (IEM Kraków 2026)

3. NiKo — 1.51 (IEM Katowice 2016)

This places ZywOo ahead of many legendary tournament runs and confirms his Kraków performance as one of the strongest Big Event showings in the HLTV era.

Vitality win IEM Kraków 2026 after dominant grand final

IEM Kraków 2026 took place from January 28 to February 8 in Poland with a $1,000,000 prize pool.

Team Vitality defeated FURIA 3–1 in the grand final, with ZywOo leading the charge and earning the MVP medal.

In the title match alone, ZywOo posted a 1.66 series rating, delivering massive impact across the four-map series and closing the tournament in peak form.

Player reactions after Vitality’s victory

Following the win, ZywOo shared his excitement about starting the year with a trophy:

“Nice to lift our first trophy in 2026… we want to win more.”

Vitality captain apEX praised his teammate’s performance:

“Without a doubt, this was the best tournament of ZywOo’s career.”

During the final day coverage, apEX also emphasized ZywOo’s standing at the top of the scene:

“ZywOo has shown he is the best in the world.”

ZywOo himself summed up his form simply:

“Everything was working for me.”

FURIA veteran FalleN admitted his team couldn’t replicate their usual resilience in the final, while flameZ highlighted how special the arena win felt personally.

MVP award confirms ZywOo’s historic form

HLTV confirmed that ZywOo’s 1.59 rating at IEM Kraków became his highest Big Event rating ever, reinforcing the scale of his performance.

The run adds another MVP to his legacy and strengthens his position in the ongoing race for the best CS2 player in the world.

The donk vs ZywOo storyline continues

While the record remains intact, ZywOo’s Kraków performance reignites the donk vs ZywOo rivalry narrative at the top of Counter-Strike.

donk’s 1.70 rating at IEM Katowice 2024 still stands as the ultimate benchmark — but Kraków 2026 proved that the record is under real threat.

With the 2026 season just beginning, the battle for historic performances and MVP medals is far from over.