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The Ukrainian analytics company Esports Charts has summarized data on Ukrainian-language esports streams for the first half of 2025. Their analysis highlights the growing popularity of Ukrainian-language broadcasts, identifies which games and tournaments attract the largest audiences, and shows which teams lead in viewership.
“The Ukrainian-speaking audience continues to show consistently strong interest in esports content through live streaming. CS2 remains the undisputed leader among disciplines, and NAVI matches traditionally attract the most attention,” says Artem Odintsov, co-founder and CEO of Esports Charts. “This indicates sustained engagement and provides a solid foundation for the further development of the Ukrainian-language scene.”
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Statistics of Ukrainian-language broadcasts in esports
Over six months, Ukrainian-language esports streams generated more than 13.1 million hours of viewing time, marking a 44.2% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The main drivers of this growth are the consistent presence of Natus Vincere at major Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 tournaments, as well as the overall expansion of Ukrainian-language streams.
The largest growth was recorded in June during the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 – the biggest CS2 tournament of the first half of the year. Ukrainian-language streams at that time reached over 3.3 million hours of viewing, making Ukrainian one of the five most popular broadcast languages at the Major. The highest peak viewership was recorded during IEM Katowice 2025, with 114,518 viewers. However, the absolute 2024 record of 137,886 viewers set during PGL Major Copenhagen has yet to be surpassed.
Top games and platforms on Ukrainian-language esports broadcasts
Twitch remains the most active platform for watching Ukrainian-language streams, holding about a 66% share, while YouTube is gradually closing the gap with a current share of 33.9%. Compared to last year, YouTube’s share has increased, indicating a gradual shift in audience preferences.
Counter-Strike 2 continues to dominate all disciplines, accounting for roughly 72% of total viewership – a notable increase from 63.7% in 2024. In contrast, Dota 2 has lost some of its audience, partly due to a lack of significant victories by Ukrainian teams and an overall decline in interest within the Ukrainian-speaking segment. Streams for Dota 2 now make up 26.7% of viewership. Historically, Dota 2 has been the most popular game in former CIS countries, where many teams and players from Russia participate – viewers in the Ukrainian-speaking audience tend to avoid content featuring them.
Top tournaments on Ukrainian-language esports broadcasts
Among the tournaments that attracted the most attention from the Ukrainian-speaking audience, IEM Katowice 2025 leads the list. Although NAVI did not achieve significant success there, broadcasts of matches involving the team were the most popular. Close in engagement was the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where NAVI reached the quarterfinals but were ultimately defeated by the season favorites, Team Vitality.
Analysts noted that only Counter-Strike championships made it into the list of the most popular tournaments, underscoring the leading role this shooter plays within the Ukrainian esports community.
The most popular teams on Ukrainian-language broadcasts
Unsurprisingly, the most-watched team was Natus Vincere in CS2, with over 2.6 million hours viewed – nearly one-fifth of the total viewing time. The top list also included Team Spirit and Team Vitality, largely due to their matches against NAVI. FaZe Clan secured a strong position as well, boosted by former NAVI sniper Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev playing for the team on loan during the Austin Major 2025.
The only Dota 2 team among the most popular was NAVI Junior, which won qualifications for the two main international tournaments of the year: Esports World Cup 2025 and The International 2025. The success of this youth roster led to its promotion as the club’s primary Dota 2 team.
The most popular matches on Ukrainian-language broadcasts
There were no surprises in the list of the most popular matches – the top 10 spots were all games featuring Natus Vincere’s Counter-Strike roster. Analysts noted that four series between NAVI and Team Spirit made it into the rankings. This rivalry has become one of the main derbies on the professional scene and consistently attracts hundreds of thousands of viewers, including on Ukrainian-language streams.
Esports tournaments in Ukraine
Despite the challenging situation in the country, organizers managed to hold several domestic tournaments. These included the online UPEA National League 2025 for Dota 2 and the Legion Community Cup 2025, a more traditional offline tournament for semi-professional Counter-Strike teams.
Although major international teams avoid traveling to Ukraine due to security concerns, charity esports events are gaining increasing popularity. These events feature participation from military personnel, streamers, actors, stand-up comedians, and other public figures. Often, such events attract even larger audiences than traditional local tournaments.
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