Passion UA bid farewell to fear

2-1-2025 19:20

The Ukrainian in-game leader departs the organization after a surprise run at the Shanghai Major.

Passion UA have said goodbye to Rodion "⁠fear⁠" Smyk, wishing him luck on his "new journey" as rumors point to the in-game leader completing a move to fnatic.

It is the second change for the team in the off-season after Vsevolod "⁠s-chilla⁠" Shchurov stepped down on Friday to take a break for an undetermined period due to burnout.

s-chilla leaves Passion UA

fear ends an 11-month stint with Passion UA after the team went on a surprise run in China, beating Spirit, Virtus.pro, and Astralis in the Europe RMR to qualify for the Perfect World Shanghai Major.

There, the Ukranian team went up 2-1 in the Opening Stage by beating Complexity and MIBR but fell short of the top 16 after losses to GamerLegion and Wildcard in the qualifying rounds.

Passion UA's solid fundamentals and team play on the core maps in their pool played a key part in that effort, with fear's leadership extending from calling to fragging on the server as he ended the Major as Passion UA best performer with a 1.18 rating.

His departure leaves the team with just three players and its future unknown, with Dmytro "⁠jambo⁠" Semera previously being linked to Falcons' shortlist before the Saudi organization was reported to be pursuing the HEROIC core.

Passion UA are left with:

Nikita "⁠jackasmo⁠" Skyba
Dmytro "⁠jambo⁠" Semera
Eduard "⁠zeRRoFIX⁠" Petrovskyi

Mikhaylo "⁠Kane⁠" Blagin (coach)

good luck in fnatic!!

2025-01-02 19:20

120

7 replies

Looks like Passion UA is fearless now

2025-01-02 19:33

145

1 reply

+1 lmao

2025-01-02 22:21

passion +woro +kvem

2025-01-02 19:40

4 replies

Drilla UA

2025-01-02 20:26

not terrible tbh, they also abuse double awp set-up

2025-01-02 20:28

doubt that jambo would stay with passion in 2025, he’d probably get poached sooner or later.

2025-01-04 18:07

top 20 instantly

2025-01-03 10:31

Fnatic: +fear

2025-01-02 19:21

-nawkk +jambo -krimz +jackasmo goated lineup

2025-01-02 19:24

3 replies

Big upgrade tbh

2025-01-02 23:58

fnatic UA

2025-01-03 06:29

Unfortunately the org would ruin it somehow.

2025-01-04 07:55

Expected, fEAR fnatic next announcement

come on fnatic pick up jambo aswell

2 replies

i was thinking the same thing. Maybe jambo doesn't speak English. I don't see why they woundlnt take him. Also I think woro could be an upgrade over nawk

2025-01-02 21:16

Bruh anybody is better than nawk.

2025-01-03 12:22

great pickup by fnatic, younger and much more promising than hooxer + cheaper

5 replies

not cheaper

2025-01-02 19:22

source?

2025-01-02 19:51

2 seconds of brain useage PUA - resigned all their players pre major and had huge success so buyout will be big. Hooxi - not signed, old and can’t shoot

2025-01-02 19:53

I am talking about salary hooxi - played for multiple tier1 teams, experienced, multiple S tier event winner fear - / hooxi surely demanded more money

2025-01-02 20:00

hooxi should be happy about an offer, let alone a good one.

2025-01-02 20:02

good pickup by fnatic, good luck mate ,but you should've brought jambo together with u :D

i love krimz but maybe he should be replaced aswell sjuush maybe

i am not that deep into stats, but i honestly think krimz is still solid enough / sjuush is not a significant upgrade, if an upgrade at all

2025-01-03 06:31

Welcome to MVP.PK

he is going to fnatic

Good luck fear

This project was damn promising, just to cash out at the first sign of success. Sad

2025-01-02 19:23

6 replies

Thats reality of tier 2 teams

yea, but for PUA, if they want to establish a brand, its possible (i think)

2025-01-02 19:43

U keep producing prodigys constantly, u'll make it to the top tier

2025-01-03 11:11

I mean, one of the players literally just burned out at 19 Years old something isn't right

2025-01-02 21:21

Grinding T2 isnt for everyone. And since he got money from major, maybe hes had enough. I wouldnt make any assumptions of the team because of that. But maybe he reveals something later.

2025-01-02 21:35

man, they played like 400 maps last year, more than twice what navi played before looking dead at blast finals

2025-01-03 08:24

Im glad they no longer have anything to be scared of

hoping jackas(s)mo to b8 for esenthial.

Would be a huge upgrade for them, and that team Would be better than previous passion ua

2025-01-03 10:30

Hooxi from IGLing G2 to some random tier 2 team?

2025-01-02 19:26

roeJ nikoododz hooxi Reunion incoming

2025-01-02 19:34

Zyphon too

2025-01-03 08:09

fnatic pls take jambo too

fnatic will waste time this won't work and swe scene is over if they sign t3 random ukrs

flag checks out

2025-01-03 01:34

fnatic please and bring jambo with you

2025-01-02 19:39

+woro +kvem

It would make actually sense for fnatic to bring in jambo as well, cause they desperately need to replace AWPer. Nawkkk was pretty terrible after first few events. That said, i don't think this was necessary at all, i don't think bodyy was a problem. Def not first to kick imo. Then again, they should know better, i stand behind the fact that they need better awper and i would keep krimz at least one more major cycle and be ready to look for his replacement (dude is legend, but aging). //edit if not jumbo, woro, sunpayus, there are quite a few awpers available...

2025-01-02 19:45

wtf are u on? bodyy is the main problem of the team. He is the worst IGL in the scene

2025-01-02 21:55

Fnatic Fear should be exciting. but Fnatic SHOULD NOT continue with nawwk. you got better awper available. I might watch them play if they can get Sunpayus Fear - IGL BlameF - Lurker/2nd caller Mattys & Krimz - Rifflers Sunpayus - awper

Im sure sunpayus wants a team that can contend for titles. Fnatic aint it.

HEROIC will not contend for titles

2025-01-02 21:00

not with Body and nawwk. but with fear and him, they might at least try to be solid top 10 first or winning smaller events.

2025-01-03 02:57

RIP Passion

2025-01-02 20:24

jambo got some bucks i think

2025-01-02 20:38

So Passion now disbands or whaat

2025-01-03 02:13

probably will just sign another two unknown young players

2025-01-03 11:54

woro n amsalem standin

2025-01-03 12:58

I don't get it. Jambo the most promising talent of Passion UA (+talented T2 awper that has turned many eyes even before the major performance) instead of joining a better team he's now stuck on a sinking ship. He can prob still join fear in Fnatic but I can't help but feel like he could've had better...

2025-01-03 03:13