Investor and entrepreneur Maksym Krippa, who became the head of the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF) in February, shared his vision for the development of esports in Ukraine. In a comment for Forbes Ukraine’s BrandVoice project, he emphasized that esports has long ceased to be just a game — it is a rapidly growing industry with enormous potential.
Krippa believes that the industry is entering a phase of professionalization, attracting investment, and forming a full-fledged economic sector. His personal experience as the owner of NAVI, one of Ukraine’s leading e-sports teams with a global reputation, confirms this trend.
He strives to build a solid foundation that will ensure the sustainable development of the industry and open the door to the international arena for Ukrainian esports by improving the training system and tournament organization.
Unimpeded development of esports
Maksym Krippa emphasizes that the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF) is not about complicated bureaucracy or unnecessary formalities. In his opinion, the federation should be a simple and understandable platform that facilitates easy interaction between players and organizers. The main task of the UESF is to create a transparent and stable tournament system that covers the entire country, rather than serving as a control mechanism.
In addition, he emphasizes the importance of promoting esports among young people and a wider audience. In his view, this requires the introduction of specialized courses in educational institutions, the organization of leagues for schoolchildren and students, and information campaigns that reveal the value and prospects of esports for society.
UESF pays great attention not only to attracting new fans, but also to supporting the professional esports community. The federation develops individual disciplines, helps Ukrainian teams, and creates conditions for the stable professional growth of players.
“We are working on a comprehensive strategy that we will soon present to the public. Our ambition is to make esports in Ukraine as respected as traditional sports. We want Ukrainian esports players to be mentioned as often as leading tennis players, boxers, or footballers in international arenas. And we want their numbers to grow steadily,” emphasized Maksym Krippa.
Maksym Krippa on the challenges and opportunities for the development of esports in Ukraine
When asked by a journalist about the main obstacles to the development of esports in Ukraine, Maksym Krippa replied clearly:
“In 2025, esports can only be considered underground from the perspective of individual business players in Ukraine. Fifteen to twenty years ago, this sphere may have seemed like a niche, far removed from traditional sports. However, today esports is a full-fledged part of the global mainstream. Although it does not reach the scale of football in terms of the number of fans, it has already surpassed many classic sports that we grew up with. There are spectators, interest is growing, and Ukrainian teams are consistently demonstrating a high level on the international stage.”
In addition, he recalled that even before 2022, the esports market in Ukraine was estimated at tens of millions of dollars and asked the question: “Should something of this scale be called underground?”
Problems with local support for esports: an entrepreneur’s opinion
Esports has been officially recognized as a full-fledged sport, and the UESF has been granted the status of a national federation. However, the main obstacle is the lack of attention from Ukrainian businesses.
“We cooperate with major international brands, which is positive. However, local companies still do not consider esports an attractive investment. If this changed, we would have had more agreements with Ukrainian partners long ago. Unfortunately, there are few such examples so far,” Krippa states.
He also notes progress at the state level but emphasizes that a large-scale breakthrough requires a systematic and long-term approach from both the government and business.
Maksym Krippa emphasizes that Ukrainians have long been deeply integrated into the world of esports — this is not new for the country. Although NAVI is the most famous organization, there are many other clubs and teams in Ukraine. Ukrainian players are also actively involved in foreign teams. According to him, for the stable development of the industry, it is necessary to provide adequate support so that esports becomes an important part of the national economy in the future.
