NAVI and education in the field of esports

Published by Gerasin Dmytro 07.08.2024

The esports industry is developing rapidly and in just a few years has achieved not only official recognition but also significant engagement. More and more young people dream of a career as a professional esports player. But the question arises: where to start? In Ukraine, there are not many educational institutions that offer relevant programs. However, the leading esports organization NAVI is also working towards training young talents.

Global experience in training esports professionals:

The global experience in training esports professionals is rich with achievements. Today, various universities and academies around the world have developed and implemented educational programs that cover a wide range of specialties: from gaming skills to psychology.

In general, all esports specialties can be divided into 6 groups:

• professional gaming skills (training directly for esports players)
• analytics and coaching (training specialists capable of analyzing games and helping teams improve their results)
• management and business in esports (training in managing esports teams, including organizing practices, participating in tournaments, and interacting with media)
• technology and content production (training journalists, commentators, and content creators to cover esports events)
• health and psychology (training psychologists specializing in working with esports players to improve their mental health and manage stress; programs aimed at maintaining the physical health of esports players, including fitness, diet, and prevention of professional diseases)
• legal and ethical regulation (programs for training in the legal aspects of esports, including contract law, intellectual property, and regulatory issues).

Unfortunately, in Ukraine, the selection of specialties is not as extensive. Only a few higher education institutions have specialties directly related to esports: Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts offers training in the specialty "Esports," and the National University of Physical Education and Sport of Ukraine offers courses that focus more on the physical and psychological health of players.

Therefore, almost the only chance for young people dreaming of a professional esports career remains private schools and academies. And it is necessary to study with the best, and the esports organization NAVI provides such an opportunity.

Background information: NAVI

• The esports organization NAVI was founded in 2009 as a professional association of esports players. It has several structural units and multiple teams.
• In 2018, Ukrainian entrepreneur Max Kryppa became an investor in NAVI. In 2022, Max Kryppa fulfilled agreements with the organization and became the beneficial owner.
• At the moment when Max Kryppa fulfilled the agreements, the Natus Vincere (NAVI) Academy was created, specializing in training young esports players.

Natus Vincere (NAVI) Academy:

The academy was created with the support of investor Max Kryppa as an incubator for young players. Ukraine's leading esports organization constantly needs new talents, so it was natural to create a training platform.

The training process at the academy includes gaming practice, game analysis, physical and psychological training, as well as theoretical classes. The program primarily focuses on intensive gaming practice, studying strategy, tactics, and the technique of the chosen discipline. It is worth noting that the students are trained by professional NAVI esports players.

The NAVI Academy has already achieved significant success by training several players who later became stars of world esports. Also, a NAVI Junior team was formed from the academy's students, which took second place in the group and advanced to the playoffs, where they defeated Budapest Five in the first match (2021), winning the group stage, reaching the tournament final, and earning $20,000 in prize money. In 2024, the team became the champions of the European Pro League Season 17 in Dota 2.

Esports Camp and cooperation with NAVI:

The educational initiatives of the esports organization do not end with the work of the Natus Vincere Academy. NAVI often collaborates with Esports Camp.

Esports Camp is a camp that offers comprehensive programs for training future stars. The cooperation between Esports Camp and NAVI opens new horizons for young talents, offering unique opportunities for learning and professional growth.

The Esports Camp programs are designed to consider all aspects of professional esports and include:

• gaming practice (camp participants undergo intensive gaming practice, during which they study the strategies and tactics of various games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS), Dota 2)
• physical training (special classes aimed at maintaining the physical health of participants, including fitness programs and exercises to improve concentration and endurance)
• psychological support (working with professional psychologists helps players cope with stress and improve mental resilience, which is crucial for successful competition performances)
• game analysis (coaches and analysts conduct game session reviews, helping participants understand and correct mistakes, and develop effective gaming styles)
• theoretical education (lectures and workshops by industry experts help participants better understand the esports ecosystem, the history of games, and current trends).

Partnership with Natus Vincere provides Esports Camp participants with unique opportunities. NAVI players and their coaches regularly conduct workshops and training sessions at Esports Camp, sharing their experience and knowledge. Additionally, camp participants have the opportunity to train alongside NAVI teams, allowing them to learn from professionals and better understand the required skill level. Thanks to the cooperation with NAVI, Esports Camp participants gain access to modern training facilities and equipment, providing the best conditions for development.

A few more words should be said about the training facilities. Thanks to Max Kryppa's investments, two ultra-modern training facilities were created in recent years: one in Kyiv and one in Berlin. These facilities are accessible not only to professional esports players but also to young people.

Background information: Max Kryppa

Max Kryppa is a Ukrainian investor and entrepreneur working with assets in the field of esports. His first investments in the industry were made in 2018 when he invested in a little-known startup called Maincast. Today, Maincast holds about 64% of the Ukrainian esports broadcasting market.

In 2023, Max Kryppa also became the owner of the game development company GSC Game World, known for games such as Cossacks and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is scheduled for September 2024.

Max Kryppa's investment portfolio also includes the Parus business center. It is assumed that Max Kryppa plans to use the skyscraper as a base to create an esports hub.

NAVI Visa Academy Project

Recently, the NAVI Academy announced a competition to select those wishing to join the large esports community. Anyone can submit an online application, and the top ten will have the opportunity to spend two weeks at the NAVI bootcamp in Berlin. The top five finalists will be formed into a team there.

Conditions for participants:

• age from 14 to 17 years
• 2600+ ELO in CS2 (Faceit)
• English level no lower than B1
• no contracts with other clubs
• no bans for cheating.