Team Spirit’s undefeated run through Stages 2 and 3 at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 has been nothing short of spectacular. After struggling to find their footing earlier in the year, the defending Cologne champions look revitalized.
What makes this dominant streak even more impressive is the glaring absence behind the players. Spirit is competing on one of Counter-Strike’s biggest stages without a coach. Dmitriy “S0tF1k” Forostyanko is missing the event due to visa issues, while Sergey “hally” Shavayev was forced to stay home due to health problems. The two will not make it to the playoffs either, donk confirmed after the interview was done.
Ahead of the playoffs, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets shared how the team rebuilt their identity, the challenge of playing without a coach, and why he refuses to give away Spirit’s tactical secrets.
Finding a New Blueprint
When asked what sparked the team’s mid-season turnaround, donk pointed directly to a fundamental overhaul of their system and communication.
I think we found out how we want to play CS and how we have to structure our communication,” donk explained. “The main thing was to build a new structure with new roles. So that’s it.
A massive piece of that new structure comes from S0tF1k, who joined the coaching staff earlier this year. However, when pressed on exactly what S0tF1k brought to the roster, the young superstar was uncharacteristically tight-lipped.
I hate this question. I don’t want to answer this ’cause maybe some other teams will use it in their ways.
It is a fascinating refusal. The fear that opponents could exploit his answer speaks volumes about how highly donk regards S0tF1k’s contribution. It hints at a highly specific, tailor-made tactical framework that Spirit believes gives them a distinct edge in the server, and it is a secret they aren’t willing to risk exposing to the rest of the field.
Surviving the Server Unchaperoned
While Spirit’s structure is working wonders, not having a coach physically present in Cologne to manage the flow of a match has presented real challenges.
It’s been tough ’cause if you lose control of the map, it must be harder to come back,” donk admitted. “You have no person that can take a timeout and say, ‘Guys, now we do this, we destroy them, then we win the map.’ It’s a usual thing that if you’re losing and have poor control of the game, maybe we as players cannot even understand what went wrong. The coach from the outside of the game… it’s easier for him to see what went wrong.
To compensate, the players have had to shoulder the strategic burden collectively. donk noted that veterans and young players alike, including Boris “magixx” Vorobiev, Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov, and Myroslav “zont1x” Zhotik, are all pulling their weight.
We all know that it’s hard and we all feel like it’s our problem, and we have to work on it together,” he said, adding that the team immediately connects with their absent coaches after matches. “We meet one-on-one with S0tF1k and hally ’cause without them, it would be very hard to be able to lift the trophy.
Stats Don’t Matter, Trophies Do
Up next in the grueling playoff bracket is a surging G2 squad. donk acknowledges the threat but remains confident in Spirit’s own foundation.
They’re a strong team and they definitely can do damage in terms of strats, and they have a good structure. Maybe it’s kind of the same like us,” donk noted. “They have strong individuals and a strong coach, so it won’t be an easy matchup. We have to be focused maximum to beat them and play the next match against Vitality or Falcons.
Heading into the playoffs, donk sits at a towering 1.53 rating for the event, nearing his legendary 1.57 peak from Budapest. Yet, the numbers mean little to him without the hardware to back it up.
It shows that I’m in good shape, that I can do really good damage to enemies, but it’s not the thing that I think about a lot,” he said. “It’s a great bonus. When you win the match and you have a 1.5, yeah, it’s great. But if I lose and I still have a 1.5, it would still be frustrating.
For donk and Team Spirit, the goal in Germany is singular.
We are the champions of Cologne,” donk concluded. “So maybe it’s time to become back-to-back.
