The Russian Computer Sports Federation (RKSF) marked its 25th anniversary on March 24th. Representatives of the organization announced this milestone in a press release.
Back in 2001, Russia became the first country globally to officially recognize esports as a sport. Since then, RKSF has been actively developing esports across all regions of the Russian Federation. Over its quarter-century of operation, the federation has organized more than 10,000 national and international tournaments, attracting over 2.5 million esports athletes. The organization highlighted that in 2024 alone, RKSF conducted approximately seven championships daily in an online format.
In 2024, following the directive of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the international esports competition, the “Cybervostok” Far Eastern Championship, took place. RKSF also regularly hosts offline (LAN) finals, including notable events such as:
In 2024, the decisive stage of a tournament was held for the first time at the “Bolshoy” Ice Dome in Sochi, a key venue from the 2014 Winter Olympics. RKSF noted that over the past 25 years, the organization has awarded over ₽300 million in prize money to esports players.
The federation also emphasized the growth of esports infrastructure within the country. At the time of this report, over 3,000 computer clubs are operating in 89 regions, with their numbers increasing by 15-20% annually.
In 2024, RKSF introduced its mascot, the Manul cat named Smerch, which was unveiled on October 17th at the XII International Sports Forum “Russia – a Sports Power” in Ufa. To commemorate its 25th anniversary, the federation has taken patronage of Manuls from the Moscow and St. Petersburg zoos.
Furthermore, RKSF actively participates in state-level forums, including the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Eastern Economic Forum, the forum “Russia – a Sports Power,” the All-Russian Festival of Student Sports “АССК.ФЕСТ,” the World Youth Festival, the International Exhibition-Forum “Russia,” and others. The organization`s activities also extend to the realm of science, with RKSF annually publishing research articles, educational, and methodological guides dedicated to esports.
Finley Holt