At the StarLadder Budapest Major, Spirit defeated Falcons 2-0 to reach the semi-finals, paced by an emphatic performance from Ivan “zweih” Gogin. In what was his first Major playoffs appearance, zweih anchored Spirit on Nuke, posting one of his best LAN ratings ever and helping the team close out a commanding opener. The Russian side then survived a shaky start on Dust2, coming back from a 5-11 hole to force overtime and take the map.
Danil “donk” Kryshkovets was a steady presence across the series, keeping Spirit competitive on the rounds where the rest of the roster needed time to find their rhythm. Donk’s form this Major has already been a storyline; readers can see more on his numbers in an earlier recap about his tournament 1.73 rating.
Spirit’s Nuke map was the clear highlight. zweih repeatedly won key fights and opened rounds in ways that let Spirit control tempo and utility usage. On Dust2 the team leaned on clutch situations and disciplined round closes to grind back from the deficit and eventually take the win in overtime.
Expect Spirit to carry momentum into the semi-finals and for viewers to keep an eye on zweih and donk as the Major continues. Follow live reaction and short updates for Spirit at the Budapest Major on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
