When Passion UA entered competitive Counter-Strike in August 2023, the organization did not begin by signing established international stars. Instead, the Ukrainian project built its first roster around young domestic players and gave them an opportunity to develop inside a professional structure. Less than two years later, Passion UA had reached a Counter-Strike Major, expanded into other disciplines, and established itself as one of the most recognizable new organizations to emerge from Ukrainian esports.
Founded by Ukrainian footballer Oleksandr Zinchenko and Artemijs Rjabovs, Passion UA officially launched on August 20, 2023. From the beginning, the project positioned itself around the development of Ukrainian esports talent and the ambition to compete internationally.
Its first and ultimately defining discipline was Counter-Strike.
Building Passion UA from Ukrainian talent
The original Passion UA Counter-Strike lineup featured relatively young and largely unproven players rather than established names from the highest level of European competition. The first roster included marat2k, jambo, jackasmo, zeRRoFIX and s-chilla, with Major-winning coach Mykhailo «kane» Blahin overseeing the project.
That approach was significant for the Ukrainian scene. Rather than competing for players already established at NAVI or other major European organizations, Passion UA attempted to create its own development pipeline.
The early months were therefore more about building a competitive foundation than immediately challenging tier-one opposition. Passion UA played open qualifiers, regional events and the extensive ecosystem of online European tournaments, gradually gaining experience against stronger teams.
The organization also demonstrated that the original roster was not untouchable. Changes were made as Passion UA searched for a lineup capable of taking the next competitive step. One important move came in February 2024, when Rodion «fear» Smyk replaced marat2k.
Results began to follow. During 2024, Passion UA won multiple European Pro League events and the Lenovo LEGION Real Game Cup while also regularly competing in CCT tournaments and other European competitions. These events were far removed from the prestige of a Major, but they provided the roster with the volume of competitive matches required for a young team to develop.
Shanghai changed the status of Passion UA
The defining moment in Passion UA’s early history arrived in late 2024. The team entered the qualification process for the Perfect World Shanghai Major without the reputation of Europe’s established organizations. By the end of the European RMR, however, Passion UA had secured a place at the Major after defeating Astralis in the decisive series.
It was more than simply the organization’s first Major qualification. Passion UA became the first fully Ukrainian five-player lineup to qualify for a Counter-Strike Major, giving the achievement additional significance for the country’s competitive scene.
The qualification also represented the clearest validation of Passion UA’s original model. A project that had started with young Ukrainian players outside the elite level had reached Counter-Strike’s most important tournament circuit without abandoning its domestic identity.
By the end of 2024, Passion UA had also risen above every other Ukrainian organization in the HLTV team ranking for the first time.
The Shanghai run transformed Passion UA from a promising regional project into a recognizable international Counter-Strike brand.
Expansion beyond Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike remained central to Passion UA, but the organization quickly attempted to build a broader esports structure.
In February 2024, Passion UA entered both Dota 2 and Apex Legends. Its Apex Legends project began with the signing of the Ukrainian UAIM roster featuring Max-Strafe, Sanya and Artyco. The organization remained in the discipline until October 2024, when the roster returned to competing under the UAIM name.
Dota 2 became a more substantial part of Passion UA’s identity. The organization’s first Dota lineup was introduced in February 2024, although the initial project struggled to establish consistent results. Passion UA later changed direction and signed the Team Hryvnia roster, which had attracted attention during qualification for PGL Wallachia Season 2.
That team demonstrated its potential by defeating Natus Vincere twice during the qualification campaign. Passion UA ultimately fell short of reaching PGL Wallachia through that run, but the performances showed that the organization was applying a familiar strategy in another discipline: identifying players outside the established elite and attempting to develop them into international competitors.
The Dota 2 division continued developing through 2025. Passion UA won the UPEA National League 2025, and at its peak the roster reached sixth place in ESL’s Western European ranking, according to the organization.
From an all-Ukrainian roster to an international CS2 project
The next major chapter came with significant changes to Passion UA’s Counter-Strike operation.
The roster that had taken the organization to Shanghai could not remain unchanged indefinitely. Players moved on, replacements arrived, and Passion UA gradually shifted away from its original exclusively Ukrainian construction.
Among the notable moves was jambo’s transfer to fnatic in April 2025. Passion UA subsequently added Volodymyr «Woro2k» Veletniuk and continued rebuilding around a changing lineup.
Later in 2025, the transformation became considerably more dramatic.
Passion UA moved toward an international roster, bringing in former Complexity members Johnny «JT» Theodosiou, Nicholas «nicx» Lee and Håkon «hallzerk» Fjærli. The organization had effectively moved from its original development-focused Ukrainian lineup toward a multinational project with players carrying experience from the highest levels of Counter-Strike.
It was an important change in philosophy, but also a reflection of Passion UA’s growth. The organization was no longer simply attempting to discover whether a group of promising Ukrainian players could break into international competition. It was trying to establish a sustainable position within that international competition.
The organization says its Counter-Strike division eventually reached No. 14 in the HLTV ranking and No. 17 in Valve’s ranking.
Passion UA also reached another Major stage in 2025, finishing inside the top 11 at the StarLadder Budapest Major according to the organization’s official history.
More than competitive results
Passion UA’s identity has also remained closely connected to Ukraine. That connection has been visible through charity initiatives involving Zinchenko, esports players, footballers and members of Ukraine’s military. In 2024, a CS2 charity showmatch involving Zinchenko and Brazilian footballer Gabriel Jesus helped raise more than ₴7.6 million, according to Passion UA. Another charity event in 2025 raised roughly ₴1.68 million for Ukrainian military units.
These initiatives have helped distinguish Passion UA from organizations built primarily around tournament performance. Its branding has consistently connected international esports ambitions with a specifically Ukrainian identity, even as its competitive rosters have become increasingly international.
Passion UA’s place in Ukrainian esports
Passion UA’s rise is notable because of how quickly the organization moved through several stages that usually take new esports projects years to navigate.
It began as a Ukrainian Counter-Strike development project in 2023. Within roughly a year and a half, it had produced a Major-qualified lineup, entered Dota 2 and Apex Legends, won regional and European events, and begun building an audience outside Ukraine.
The Shanghai Major remains the central moment in that history. Qualifying with an all-Ukrainian roster demonstrated that a new organization could build a competitive team without beginning with established tier-one stars.
What followed represented the next challenge: turning a breakthrough into a sustainable esports operation.
Passion UA’s subsequent internationalization showed that the organization was prepared to change its original formula in pursuit of higher competitive ambitions. At the same time, its Ukrainian identity remained central to the brand.
From a young roster assembled in 2023 to Major appearances and international lineups, Passion UA’s history is ultimately a story of rapid transition. The organization has already moved from talent development to international competition; its longer-term test will be whether it can convert that early momentum into lasting relevance at the highest level of esports.
