donk has burst onto the Counter-Strike scene like no other player before him.
The likes of ZywOo, m0NESY, and even s1mple were all strong in their debut years, but none of them managed a feat like the one donk did during his MVP performance at IEM Katowice.
Despite this, and despite the seemingly loud and extroverted character he portrays in the server, donk is reserved, humble, and has his eyes purely set on improving and becoming the best to ever do it.
At BLAST Premier Spring Final presented by Revolut, we sat down with donk to discuss his growth as a player, his debut season in CS, the players he learns from, and the young players he thinks may soon enter the spotlight.
It's the end of your first full season in tier one, how have you found it?
It's been really good, I've won some big trophies in my first season. We've shown good results, but we should also do better and keep our routine to work harder.
You're having an incredible year, but do you think you've found a consistent level yet?
It's hard for me to say, but as I see it from my own perception, I'm not very consistent yet. I need to find my key to playing consistently, and I'm trying to do that right now.
I can do better.
Why do you think it is? Is it inconsistency within your own game or is it how other teams have adapted to you?
I don't know how teams have adapted to me per say, but as I see it I don't think teams rate me equally. Some do, some do not.
All the mistakes I am making are my own mistakes, the enemy teams aren't making me make them.
What do you think those mistakes are?
I think sometimes I'm not aggressive enough and too slow, and sometimes I'm too fast and I rush too much.
Is it just a case of playing more and finding the right balance?
Yes, it's all about experience for me. The team and I are working through this problem especially because I feel like I am forcing it.
I will try my best to fix the issue as fast as I can.
Given that you are still so inexperienced, does how well you have been performing surprise you, or did you always expect to play at this level and know that you are this good?
To be honest, I don't think I'm good. I still feel like I can be a lot better. I see that I can improve in a lot of ways.
So you think there are players better than you? Who would you say is better?
For sure.
I would say m0NESY is the best player in the world right now, and ZywOo is better than me too. It's harder to say for riflers, but NiKo is in good shape right now. The level he showed at Dallas is incredible.
If we asked you who the three best players in the world are, would you include yourself?
I don't think I am, no.
Would you say the three names you just mentioned?
No, it's m0NESY, ZywOo, and sh1ro.
So what's it like playing with sh1ro?
It's amazing, it's very cool to play with a player you were watching tournaments. He's so good and when you get to play on the same team as someone like that, it really means a lot.
He brought a lot of experience to the team as well as vision for the game. From the first time we played together I knew I should learn from him in order to become a better player. He's given me a lot and is still continuing to do so.
Which players do you learn from outside of sh1ro?
It's hard to name players specifically because I watch everyone who performs well in my roles to try and find their secrets and steal them [laughs].
Although, the player I have watched the most is NiKo.
Everyone says that the best young player in CS2 is donk, but who does donk think is the best young player in CS2?
The MongolZ guys are really good, especially, mzinho. They can become a tier-one team, definitely.
Other than that, kyousuke from our academy team. I really believe in him because he has a great mindset to play at a high level.
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