The Ukrainian team Passion UA made headlines by securing a spot at the upcoming Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024. To celebrate this achievement, the organization’s CEO, Artemijs Rjabovs, gave an interview to the GG Esports channel, where he shared insights about the team's readiness for the event and plans for other disciplines.
Doubts about Passion before matches against VP and Spirit
According to the CEO, almost no one believed that Passion UA could overcome Virtus Pro, let alone favorites Team Spirit. Even the club owner, footballer Oleksandr Zinchenko, was skeptical. Despite the doubts, Passion UA defeated both well-known opponents, winning 16-14 against VP and 13-11 against Team Spirit, climbing the tournament rankings as a result.
The inner circle did not believe that Passion would be able to overcome VP, let alone Spirit. Moreover, Zinchenko himself was skeptical about this prospect.
Rewarding performance with bonuses
Securing sixth place in the qualifiers and earning a slot at the Major is an outstanding result. The organization plans to reward the players generously. The CEO announced that after qualifying for the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, all player contracts were extended for three more years. Additionally, the management has promised attractive bonuses if the team performs well at the Major.
Zinchenko has reportedly promised rewards, including possible cars for the players, if the team achieves significant success at the event.
Preserving team spirit and players
The CEO emphasized that maintaining a friendly atmosphere within the team is a top priority to avoid impulsive decisions from players to leave the club. Artemijs pointed out that significant successes often attract other organizations attempting to recruit players.
I see retaining players as a priority because they are often targeted by other clubs after major achievements. Maintaining a friendly atmosphere within the team is crucial for this.
Leadership won't hinder player transfers
At the same time, the CEO stated that if major esports organizations express interest in acquiring Passion players, the club won’t stand in their way. On the contrary, the management would be happy to serve as a platform for developing Ukrainian esports talents.
If a major organization is interested in purchasing a Passion UA player, we won’t obstruct it. On the contrary, we’d be delighted to support the development of Ukrainian esports players.
Expanding beyond Ukrainian players
Lastly, Artemijs mentioned that while Passion UA’s roster currently consists entirely of Ukrainians, this may change in the future. The management is open to signing strong players from other nationalities if the opportunity arises.
In the future, the team might include players of other nationalities. If we have a chance to sign a strong player from outside Ukraine, Passion UA is ready to do so.
You can watch the full interview with the CEO of Passion UA on the official GG Esports YouTube channel.
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