Bar is slowly but surely growing into an important center of the gaming industry, not only in the regional context, but also beyond. In recent years, this coastal city has become the host of a large number of events dedicated to gaming culture, technology and e-sports, thus occupying a significant place on the map of modern digital trends. Among these events, the Montenegro Future Festival stands out, which year after year confirms its status as one of the most significant regional gatherings dedicated to gaming, e-sports and technological innovations.
This year's edition of the Montenegro Future Festival will be held from 9 to 11 May 2025 at the Bar Cultural Center, and it is already clear that it will surpass previous ones in terms of the number of participants, program and international significance. It is one of the largest gaming, e-sports and tech events in the region, bringing together more than 200 participants from over 35 countries. The festival is not only a platform for entertainment and competitions, but also a serious space for discussion about the future of the industry, from the legislative framework and education, to innovations in the field of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The festival is organized by the Electronic Sports Association of Montenegro (SESCG) with the support of the Municipality of Bar and TO Bar and other partners, and President Filip Šoć proudly points out that this year's MFF will be much richer.
"Montenegro Future Festival 2025 brings a much richer and more comprehensive program. The European Gaming Summit will be organized, which is the strongest European conference dedicated to gaming, e-sports and the digital future, followed by the E-Adriatic Cup in several games, NASEF and ESIC Academies, educational sessions, as well as the FiveG Expo zone. Over the course of three days, the audience will have the opportunity to attend discussions, tournaments, presentations of VR and AR devices, simulators, as well as retro gaming and quizzes. More than 200 guests from 40 countries around the world and from all continents will participate," he boasted in an interview with Vijesti Šoć.
The panel discussions of last year's edition of the festival exceeded all expectations, and the audience followed the discussions on various topics with attention, and among the speakers were prominent experts, not only from the world of gaming, but also from the fields of education, technology, tourism, and creative industries. The president of SESCG promises that this year will be the same, although he admits that it was not easy to justify the audience's expectations.
"We carefully select topics and panelists, so this year we will again have representatives from ISF, GEF, the European eSports Federation, Tencent, ESL FACEIT Group, Moonton, the International and European Olympic Committees, as well as incubators such as SIMORA and PISMO. Topics such as: AI in gaming, e-sports and education, gaming in tourism, legislation, IT innovations and much more will be covered. We strive to provide new value and expand the industry's influence every year," reveals Šoć, who will be discussing what will be discussed at this year's panels.
One of the key potentials that is increasingly being recognized is connecting the gaming industry with tourism. As the Vijesti interviewee points out, Montenegro, with its natural beauty, climate and infrastructure, can become an attractive destination for organizing e-sports competitions, bootcamps and training camps, as well as for the development of IT startups and digital nomads.
“This is the key to the future. Montenegro currently has only two months of active tourist season. Gaming and e-sports can bring events that last longer, attract thousands of people and generate huge income for local communities. Representatives of the ESL FACEIT group, Tencent, and even Moonton who are coming, organize events that bring tens of millions of euros to the local economy. At least it has the potential to become a regional tech and gaming center, and MFF is a tool in that direction,” notes Šoć.
Until now, the competitive segment of the Montenegro Future Festival has been predominantly focused on football simulations (FIFA and e-Football) that brought together the best regional and international players. However, this year, the organizers decided to make a significant step forward and expand the competitive program, introducing several different tournaments from various gaming genres. In this way, the festival keeps pace with global trends and an increasingly diverse audience, and, in addition to football simulations, tournaments in fighting games, shooters, strategies and retro titles will be organized, in order to satisfy a wider spectrum of the gaming community. This change aims to include more competitors, encourage greater interaction among participants and offer richer content for both gamers and the audience that follows the tournaments live and online.
"We have great interest in EA FC 25, Tekken 8, PUBG Mobile, Clash Royale, quizzes and eFootball. With the support of CKB and Telekom, first place wins €250, second place gadgets. The tournaments are free for the first 32 players who register per title, and the competitions are held on May 10th and 11th. In addition, the audience will be able to play retro games, test VR devices, simulators... We want everyone to feel the spirit of the festival," reveals Šoć, which tournaments will all be available at the MFF.
Despite the large number of activities that SESCG continuously implements, including the organization of European championships, international tournaments, festivals and educational programs, institutional support is still lacking. Although Montenegro is positioned on the e-sports map as a potentially significant point in the region, systemic support and recognition of this sector by relevant institutions is still lacking.
"Awareness among citizens about the importance of such events is growing, but not among state institutions. The ministries and the Government of Montenegro have not shown interest, nor are they responding to the invitations. We would like to thank the Municipality of Bar and the Tourist Organization of Bar, because without them this would not be possible, as well as without the support of sponsors and, above all, media partner - Vijesti", concludes Šoć.
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