Passion UA collapse leaves $500k–$600k unpaid to staff

Passion UA has released its entire Counter-Strike roster and owes former players and staff an estimated $500,000–$600,000, largely tied to unpaid sticker revenue from the Budapest Major.

The organisation stopped regular communications in late June. Employees have posted on LinkedIn that they are seeking new jobs, the team’s YouTube channel is no longer available, and the public website continues to list a high-profile partner in a role he says he no longer holds.

The debt is driven mainly by the team’s share of digital item sales from the Budapest Major. A Stage 2 team earned roughly $618,000 from those items; players and staff report that individual sticker payments were delayed or withheld. Management attributed the delay to opening a new bank account in Dubai as part of plans to relocate operations. The tournament platform has not responded to requests for comment.

The organisation was founded in 2023 with the stated aim of growing Ukrainian esports. In August 2025 Passion UA signed four players and coaching staff from another organisation, a deal that included a transfer fee and raised operating costs. Sources within the company say those higher costs strained its cash flow.

After an inconsistent start, management promised bonuses including Rolex watches if the team reached Stage 2 of the Budapest Major. The team qualified and advanced to Stage 3, but players reported late salaries, unpaid prize money and repeated logistical problems such as last-minute flight bookings and hotel check-outs scheduled for event end days.

Transfer talks exposed the financial problems. One transfer was held up until part of an outstanding fee was paid, with a buying club settling the balance directly with the selling organisation and deducting it from the buyout. Another transfer collapsed after the acquiring club said contractual terms were not met; that player was later recalled by his original team.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, who was the public face of Passion UA, announced on June 23 that he was ending his cooperation and described his role as a ‘media partner’ rather than a financial backer. Recordings from 2025 captured Zinchenko rebuking players after a poor qualifier result. Public filings show changes in ownership and control that sources say were submitted late; Zinchenko has said some filings are inaccurate and are subject to legal review.

Current and former staff who spoke on condition of anonymity described a lean operation with the chief executive overseeing most functions and slow hiring. They reported repeated payment delays and unsettled prize shares. The chief executive engaged with requests for comment initially but stopped responding, and reports indicate he sold a stake in a Riga training facility and its equipment in mid-2026.

Several people familiar with the situation expect the company to file for liquidation. As Passion UA winds down, its former Counter-Strike players and staff remain owed wages, prize shares and sticker revenue from the Budapest Major.