Danil "molodoy" Golubenko made a dramatic entrance onto the elite Counter-Strike scene in 2025, earning his first-ever placement in the Top 20 Players list after a seven-month rookie run that saw him win four events with FURIA and collect two tournament MVP awards.
The Kazakh AWPer arrived in the tier-one scene in April and adapted almost immediately to the higher level of competition, quickly becoming a central figure in FURIA's success throughout the year.
Molodoy's relationship with competitive shooters stretches back to his youth. He first switched to Counter-Strike after playing CrossFire and, although he initially only treated CS as a pastime with friends, the game left a lasting impression.
He stepped away from gaming around age 14 or 15 to concentrate on his studies, only returning after finishing school and entering university — a return that coincided with the release of CS2 and renewed, intense motivation to pursue a professional career.
His first recorded appearances at a competitive level came in May 2024, when he played under a local Kazakh tag and took part in several domestic LANs. That was followed by a short stint with a domestic lineup before he moved to a European online side where his impact was immediate.
At DMS he averaged a 1.16 rating across his first four months with the team, and after a brief spell at AMKAL — where he posted a remarkable 1.26 rating over three months — FURIA signed the then-unknown sniper, betting on his potential.
FURIA's project that mixed CIS and Brazilian talent initially raised eyebrows among fans, but the roster gelled on LAN. Molodoy’s first tier-one LAN with FURIA was at a home event in Kazakhstan, and his performance there helped announce his arrival.
At that tournament he averaged a 1.07 rating across the event and improved to 1.15 in arena matches, as FURIA finished fourth after a semi-final defeat. Playing in front of a home crowd boosted his confidence: "Playing at home, in my native Kazakhstan, gave me a lot of confidence. The support from the crowd and knowing that people believe in me really helped me reach my level," he said.
His team-mates also noticed his talent. Veteran Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo, who adjusted his own role after Molodoy's signing, praised the youngster's upside, while Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis took on some of the translation and mentorship duties to help him settle into an English-speaking roster.
FURIA's early struggles did not prevent Molodoy from producing standout individual showings. At IEM Dallas he averaged 1.18 across three series despite the team exiting in the group stage, including a match where he posted an exceptional 1.79 rating in the team's only win there.
A few events later he made his Major debut at the BLAST.tv Austin Major, helping FURIA reach the playoffs with strong performances in several maps, though he had a notable dip in a quarter-final outing where he struggled on one map and the team finished in the top eight.
Molodoy admitted that pressure played a role at times: "Going 3-0 put extra pressure on us, and unfortunately, it played a bad role," he reflected after that Major experience.
After a summer break, FURIA and Molodoy returned to competition and began stringing together deeper runs. At IEM Cologne, FURIA qualified through a tough field and Molodoy earned an EVP (exceptional performance) award, highlighted by high-impact matches against top opposition.
The season's first clear team breakthrough came at FISSURE Playground 2, where FURIA navigated past several strong teams to reach the playoffs. Molodoy elevated his play in the playoff bracket, producing nine consecutive arena maps with a 1.00+ rating, guiding FURIA to the title and claiming the MVP of the event — his first career MVP.
He continued to accumulate strong results through the autumn, with a steady showing at ESL Pro League Season 22 and a crucial contribution to FURIA's title run at the Thunderpick World Championship, where he was named an EVP as the team recovered from a grand-final deficit to lift the trophy.
A long trip to IEM Chengdu produced the high point of his season: Molodoy posted the best event numbers of his year, dominating the group stage, producing standout performances in quarter- and semi-finals, and finishing the grand final with a series-high Round Swing. His consistency across Chengdu earned him his second MVP of 2025.
Across the calendar, Molodoy was a reliable performer in multiple formats: he registered a 1.11 rating in arena matches and a 1.16 rating in grand finals, while his raw output included a +1.82% Round Swing and 0.76 kills per round, metrics that underline both impact and volume.
By then FURIA had compiled a run of titles — including FISSURE Playground 2, Thunderpick WC, IEM Chengdu, and BLAST Rivals Season 2 — and Molodoy was often at the forefront, even in events where he did not receive individual awards he remained one of the team's most important contributors.
At the StarLadder Budapest Major, expectations were high after the team's string of trophies. FURIA started well through Stage 3, with Molodoy averaging 1.41 in the group stage, but a quarter-final loss ended their Major campaign prematurely and he finished the tournament below his usual standards.
Reflecting on the season as a whole, Molodoy remained focused and measured: "This year was definitely a good one for us, but it's not the end. It's important to keep moving forward. All the time we spend together builds stronger chemistry and understanding, which makes us better as a team," he said.
He also highlighted personal progress off the server, noting a rapid improvement in English comprehension that helped him integrate: "Before the PGL tournament in Astana, I understood maybe 10% of what was happening in the game. Now I understand around 80%. It's become much easier for me to play, although I'm not fully adapted yet."
Looking ahead, his goals are straightforward: continue developing individually and compete for tournament victories while preserving his passion for the game.
From a numbers perspective, Molodoy compiled 162 maps at notable events in 2025, including 79 maps versus top-10 opponents and 48 maps in playoff series — a sample only slightly below average among top-30 players but heavily weighted by high-impact performances.
His year featured a trio of prominent peaks: two Big Event MVPs (including the elite IEM Chengdu), an EVP at super-elite IEM Cologne, another EVP at the Thunderpick World Championship, and near-EVP showings at other big events — a package of awards and performances that helped vault him into the top tier of the year's players.
He also performed particularly well against elite opposition, posting a 1.18 rating versus top-five teams (fourth best) and a 1.14 rating versus the top 10 (sixth best), figures that underscored his ability to deliver on the biggest stages.
Those strengths allowed him to edge out several contemporaries in the yearly head-to-head comparison: players without major MVPs or super-elite EVPs were ranked below him, which helped Molodoy reach sixth place on the list despite his short time at the top level.
Still, the concentration of awards among the five players above him — each featuring six or more EVP+ events — meant Molodoy's rookie surge, however impressive, stopped at sixth rather than climbing into the very top five.
As a lighter aside, Molodoy offered his "bold prediction" for the future: he picked his compatriot Assanali "her1tage" Serikkali, a 19-year-old rifler who has only a handful of recorded professional maps but, in Molodoy's view, possesses the talent and work ethic to rise if given the opportunity.
Molodoy's rapid ascent from local LANs to multiple event wins and MVPs in a single year is one of the clearer rookie success stories in recent memory — a trajectory built on individual firepower, quick adaptation to international play, and steady improvement in communication and team chemistry.
His 2025 campaign leaves him as both a key piece of a trophy-winning squad and a player to watch in 2026, as he aims to maintain his upward trajectory, help FURIA chase more titles, and continue refining his game on the world stage.