Spirit Academy manager reveals details of donk’s signing

Spirit Academy manager Dmitry “Soul3″ Bukhteyev shared how the organization first came to the attention of Danil ” donk ” Kryshkovets and why signing him became a priority for the club.

According to Bukhteev, he wasn’t involved in the player selection process at the initial stage, so it was hally who observed donk. What he saw so impressed the coaching staff that the level of play seemed almost unrealistic for a 12-year-old player. Donk stood out not only for his powerful aim but also for his understanding of maps and positioning, which was already significantly above average.

I was told I had to do everything I could to sign him. Donk stood out not only for his powerful aim but also for his map awareness—he had a clear sense of where the enemy was and where they needed to be to win. At first, hally was reluctant to invite him to the first training sessions because Danil often played solo and didn’t always follow the game plan.Dmitry “Soul3” Bukhteev

The negotiations were mainly conducted with donk’s grandmother, with whom the contract terms and financial details were discussed, and she supported the process in every possible way.

As a reminder, donk spent nearly two years in the academy before joining Spirit’s main roster . Since joining the team in 2023, the team has won several trophies, including a major— the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 —and his total earnings have reached $855,000 as of January 29, 2026.