Ukraine has its own representatives on the Tier 1 scene and has repeatedly proven that Ukrainian players and teams are capable of competing at the international level. However, the path to professional esports does not begin with major tournaments. To reach the highest level, players first need to gain experience, work their way up through lower tiers of competition, and gradually make a name for themselves.
One of the main challenges facing the Ukrainian scene today is the significant gap between the amateur level and Tier 1. Young players often lack sufficient opportunities for development, regular competitions, and financial incentives that would allow them to pursue a career in esports. As a result, making the transition from their first matches to the professional scene becomes a difficult task.
Therefore, for the development of Ukrainian esports, it is important to create a fully-fledged Tier-2 and Tier-3 system that will help young teams and players gradually advance to the next level. We’ll explore below exactly what needs to change to achieve this and what role Ukrainian tournaments and organizations can play in this process.
What Are Tier-1, Tier-2, and Tier-3
Tier-1 is the highest level of professional esports. This is where the strongest teams and players compete, regularly participating in major international tournaments and vying for substantial prize pools.
Tier 2 is the level directly below the elite scene. It features professional and semi-professional teams that already have competitive experience but haven’t yet established themselves among the best. Tier 2 often serves as a stepping stone for players and teams aiming to reach Tier 1.
Tier 3 is the entry level of the competitive scene. This is where young and amateur teams, new lineups, and players just starting their professional careers compete. It is at this level that the future of the scene takes shape—players gain their first experience, find teammates, and gradually prepare to move up to the next level.
What opportunities do young players need
First and foremost, young teams need an environment where they can play regularly and improve. A single tournament, even if it attracts many participants, cannot replace an ongoing competitive process. It’s important for players to know where they’ll be able to play next, who they might face, and what they need to do to reach the next level.
One option could be national leagues with multiple divisions. Teams receive a stable match schedule, and their season results determine their future placement within the system. Strong teams can move up, while teams that aren’t yet ready for more serious competition get the opportunity to continue developing in a lower division. This format allows individual tournaments to be transformed into a cohesive system.
A separate area is school and college esports. Educational institutions can serve as the first place where players are introduced to organized competitions, form teams, and gain competitive experience. University leagues, in turn, can serve as an additional platform for scouting promising players and forming new Tier-3 teams.
We shouldn’t forget about regional LAN tournaments either. Small offline competitions at computer clubs can serve as an entry point for those who don’t yet have a professional team or experience competing in major tournaments. It is precisely from such local matches that the first mixed teams, connections between players, and future rosters can begin to take shape.
Funding plays an important role
However, the sheer number of tournaments won’t solve the problem. To develop the lower tiers, a financial model is needed that doesn’t rely solely on prize money. Local companies can provide part of this support. For regional businesses, sponsoring a Tier-2 or Tier-3 league may be a more accessible way to enter esports than partnering with a major international tournament or a top organization.
Grant programs and other forms of support for youth sports initiatives could serve as an additional source of funding. The development of academies and specialized programs, where young players could receive not only practical experience but also systematic training, deserves separate consideration.
Major Ukrainian clubs can play an important role in this process. Academies and youth teams can serve as a bridge between amateur and professional esports. This isn’t just about training players: the emerging scene needs coaches, analysts, managers, and other specialists who will help teams operate professionally.
Another factor is media coverage. Even a promising player can go unnoticed if no one talks about them. Match broadcasts, statistics, interviews, stories about youth teams, and the journeys of players who have made their way from local tournaments to the professional scene all help generate interest in Tier 2 and Tier 3. And along with the audience comes additional motivation for potential partners.
At the same time, the scene’s development is impossible without professional rules of the game. Strict enforcement of regulations, combating match-fixing and other violations, and fostering a culture of fair play must be part of the system from the very beginning. If the lower divisions become an environment where players not only compete but also learn professional conduct, the transition to a higher level will be much more natural.
As a result, a fully-fledged Tier 2 and Tier 3 scene is not a single tournament or even a single league. It is an entire ecosystem in which a player has the opportunity to start with a local competition, play regularly, make it into the rankings or an academy, attract the attention of scouts, and gradually reach the professional level.
Opportunities for Beginners
Ukraine already has an example of a system that gives young players the opportunity to gradually move from open competitions to a more serious level. The Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF) hosts a series of CS2 and Dota 2 tournaments where teams can start in the open qualifiers and try to advance to the main stage.
An important feature of these competitions is that there is no entry fee. Matches are held online, so participants don’t have to take time off from school or work to compete. The series consists of several stages throughout the year, with multiple open qualifiers at each stage. Thus, a poor performance doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the road—a team can try again.
The competition also has a very concrete financial incentive. The series’ total prize pool is 1 million hryvnias, with 100,000 hryvnias allocated to each individual stage. In addition to prize money, teams can earn ranking points and VRS (Valve Regional Standings) status, which gives these tournaments significance beyond the local scene.
Moreover, it’s not necessary to have a complete roster right away to participate. For certain stages, particularly Stage 4, the Federation opens individual registration. Afterward, participants can be assigned to teams based on their roles and skill level. For newcomers, this is an opportunity to avoid being left out simply because they don’t have their own roster.
The UESF also participates in other Ukrainian esports events. For example, at FANCON, participants in the LAN tournament in Kyiv could compete not only for prize money but also for a two-day boot camp with NAVI. Such opportunities are especially valuable for young teams, as they allow them to gain experience and get closer to the professional scene. The Federation also supports other Ukrainian tournaments, serving as their technical organizer.
The development of this model has taken place following a leadership change at the Federation. Its board now includes representatives from various sectors of Ukrainian esports: NAVI CEO Yevgen Zolotaryov, Maincast founder Vitaliy Volochay, commentator and streamer Mykhailo Zverev, NAVI coach and former professional player Andriy Horodenskyi, and NAVI COO Oleksiy Kucherov. Andriy Hryshchenko became the executive director, and Maksym Krippa became the president of the Ukrainian Esports Federation.
This team brings together expertise in team management, broadcast organization, coaching, professional gaming, and the development of esports projects. It is precisely this expertise that can be leveraged to create more opportunities in Ukraine for those just starting out in esports.
Education as the Foundation for the Development of Esports
A separate area of development for Ukrainian esports is the training of professionals who will work in the field not only as players. The National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine (NUPESU) plays an important role in this; since 2019, it has offered an “Esports” specialization as part of the 017 “Physical Education and Sports” degree program for bachelor’s and master’s students. The university’s Department of Esports and Information Technology was one of the first in Ukraine to systematically train professionals in this field.
The university develops educational and research programs, hosts its own and intercollegiate esports events, and provides students with access to modern infrastructure. Together with the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF), the National University of Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine (NUPESU) also participates in evaluating educational programs and developing Ukraine’s first professional standard for esports specialists—from players and coaches to managers and analysts.
In this model, the university and the Federation complement each other: NUPESU provides the theoretical and scientific foundation, while the UESF helps combine education with practical experience, tournament activities, management, and international expertise. This creates yet another path for those who want to build a career in esports—not only in front of the screen, but also beyond it.