donk: "I played in tier five dumpster, then in tier three dumpster, and now I'm in tier one"

Spirit's youngster is gearing up for his second LAN event, after emerging victorious at his first.

Teenage sensation Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets is preparing for the first stage matches of his career at BetBoom Dacha. His Spirit side have been placed into Group B, alongside heavyweights Virtus.pro, Astralis, and Elisa Masters champions FURIA.

donk has a 1.45 rating so far in CS2, albeit rarely against top opposition, and his arrival into tier one has been one of the most anticipated since the emergence of Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut. BetBoom Dacha, after Spirit won PARI Dunav Party, will be his second LAN and represents his best chance to announce himself yet.

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Live updates from BetBoom Dacha day 1

That fact, and the tough competition in Dubai, does not seem to affect the 16-year-old, however, who confidently tells HLTV that it's "not that special" and that it's "only natural that I'm here."

We also asked the Spirit wunderkind about his aggressive rifling style, his move from Tomsk in Siberia to Belgrade, and more.

This interview was conducted via -tvd- as an interpreter.

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This is your first proper international LAN. How are you feeling?

It's definitely interesting to attend such a LAN, to play on stage and feel the vibe. But it's not that special. It's only natural that I'm here.

Do you feel any pressure, as the number one CS2 player by rating so far?

It feels nice to be number one for sure, but the level of competition was not the highest. I just want to play my game, but I expect it to be good.

What about CS2 more generally? Does it suit you as an aggressive rifler?

Since the AWP got nerfed, it's definitely easier. Usually, the AWP is one of the few ways to counter my playstyle. Since it's harder now for snipers, it's easier for me.

Tell me a little bit about the grind to get here. You told pley.gg about 14-15 hour days, is that still true? How hard have you been working?

The 14-15 hours a day was during my grind to become a pro, I did that to get noticed. Now in Spirit I have to limit myself a little bit more, with team practice and then pugs or demo reviews. But it's still 10-12 hours a day, so I still work hard.

I think I'm right in saying you've moved to Belgrade to be closer to the team, how has that transition been like at just 16?

As it happens with every player, Spirit asked me to move. They did everything in their power to make the transition smooth: Working visas, resident permits, apartments, and so on. It's been very comfortable, the ping is five times lower in Belgrade than in Tomsk. All of the conditions that I require to excel at CS are met by the org.

What about Spirit? They're very successful in Dota2, is the ambition to build a similar project in CS2?

Naturally, the ambition is to win every tournament I participate in.

What is it like to come up to tier one with your academy teammates, that you've been with for over a year now?

I played in tier five dumpster, then in tier three dumpster, and now I'm in tier one, so the transition has been pretty smooth. My teammates and I are really hungry and work a lot, and when we see results our only motivation is to do even more.

Are there any individual goals or milestones you have set yourself?

The cornerstone for me is team success. Individual accolades are just a byproduct of playing well as a team. My ambition is to play as well as I am right now, next year.

If I had to press you, how good are you right now?

Tier 1.5 player (smiles).