Donk dominates first half of 2024

The first half of 2024 witnessed an unprecedented showing from the powerhouses by eclipsing over the scene. However, one particular name became the center of attention after dismantling the scene in a sight to behold.

Team Spirit alongside their young prodigy, Danil "donk" Kryshkovets, rose through the ranks gradually since clinching the BetBoom Dacha Dubai trophy at the end of 2023. An event in which the Russian player became a sensation following a masterclass performance.

Record performance in Katowice

Image source: ESL

Since then, “donk” was under the spotlight, and the next tournament at IEM Katowice proved how he was a cut above the rest and a force to be reckoned with.

Impressively, Danil soared through competition with the title under his belt as the MVP of the tournament while equaling the record rating in a big event.

The Russian star ended IEM Katowice with 110 ADR, 1.11 KPR and 80.9% KAST across 12 maps. Before, Nikola "NiKo" Kovač set the Big Event rating record at ESL One New York 2017, yet “donk” has matched that record despite playing five more maps.

His standout performance was against none other than FaZe Clan in the Grand-Final. Spirit swept Finn "karrigan" Andersen’s squad 3-0, in which Overpass witnessed a monstrous performance from “donk” netting him a total of 26 kills, 147 ADR and 87.5% KAST.

With a dream start of the year, the expectations hit the sky, only to prove his worth among the best throughout the remaining tournaments.

On the big stage at PGL Major Copenhagen

The BLAST Premier: Spring Showdown 2024 was a mere practice before heading to the main event in Copenhagen. Nevertheless, “donk” continued to impress and passed with flying colors against Elevate, BIG and later Metizsport.

A few weeks later, and without a drop in performance, “donk” made quick work of Cloud9 and Imperial in the BO1s before locking horns with NAVI in their BO3.

Despite the rough start for his standard on Nuke, the following maps were a walk in the park for the Spirit squad. Ultimately, they defeated the Major winners in a convincing fashion.

By then, the Russian team were favorites to walk the distance and enter history with a trophy lift in Copenhagen. However, FaZe Clan had a different plan.

In a nail-biting second quarterfinal at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, FaZe Clan and Team Spirit clashed in a high-stakes showdown that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.

The match was a rollercoaster of momentum shifts, featuring jaw-dropping plays and tense moments from both sides. Ultimately, FaZe Clan emerged victorious in a thrilling scrimmage, securing a hard-earned 2-1 series win over Team Spirit.

Despite their elimination, “donk” put up impressive numbers with the most kills and damage on the server, along with the highest number of entry frags. His impact wasn’t confined to the server alone; the series against FaZe Clan also drew significant attention, becoming the second-highest peak viewership with over a million viewers across various platforms. According to escharts.com

Overall, the young gunner finished the event with a whopping 95 ADR, 74.9% KAST and 1.19 Opening kill ratio.

No events, no problem

While teams like FaZe Clan kicked back into gear after the Major, others skipped the event including Team Spirit, who also took part in BetBoom Dacha Belgrade instead of ESL Pro League Season 19.

By all means, “donk” was exceptional in Belgrade, where he earned his third MVP title. However, while still savoring the taste of gold from Pro League, MOUZ were still hungry for more. Further asserting their dominance in the scene.

The clash of titans

IEM Dallas was yet another event where they had a taste of their own medicine after getting eliminated by Team Vitality in the Semi-Finals. In fact, it was the only event thus far where “donk” seemed in a human form.

In that series, we witnessed the first head-to-head between the current best players in the world, with the french AWPer Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut reigning on top.

Going out with a bang

The BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024 concluded the first half before heading to the players’ break. The event wasn’t only to secure a spot in the World Final, but rather an opportunity for the best teams to end it on a good note.

Indeed, each title contender had their own motivation: FaZe Clan sought a return to dominance, NAVI aimed to regain their footing, and Vitality strived to reclaim their place on the podium. However, it was "donk" in peak form, alongside his team, who ultimately held the edge.

On their way to glory, they took down G2 Esports, Virtus.Pro, Team Vitality and NAVI. Also, only a week after initially losing to “ZywOo”, “donk” had his sweet revenge in London with a standout performance that netted him the MVP title.

The best player in the first half scored 86,39/100 overall, beating “ZywOo” with 81,24/100. Strafe’s rating system includes different metrics such as KAST, ADR, KPR implemented into a mathematical equation to ensure the accuracy of the results.

During the first half of the year, the Russian prodigy racked up an impressive 99 ADR, 0.95 KPR, 77.4% KAST and 1.42 K/D within 66 maps played.

The race continues

The race towards becoming the best player of the year continues with the trio of “donk”, “ZywOo” and Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov leading the pack.

Currently, Spirit’s rifler is tailed by the AWPers with a significant lead. Moreover, with the ball in play, it’s anyone’s game and the remaining events will make it crystal clear who's on top of the heap.

Finally, the next tournament on their schedule is the Esports World Cup 2024, held in Riyadh starting the 17th of July with a hefty prize pool for the winner.

Featured Image source: ESL

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