Key Takeaways:
- Six events per year: BLAST will run Bounty, Open, and Rivals events each season.
- Total prize pools exceed $3 million annually, with dynamic formats across LAN and online.
- 2027 transitions to a continuous season, promising further updates early next year.
BLAST.tv has officially revealed its expansive tournament roadmap for the Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) BLAST Premier 2026 and 2027 seasons, introducing revamped formats, global locations, and a structured prize pool strategy aimed at elevating the competitive CS2 scene.
Six Tournaments Per Year with Unique Formats
The 2026 season will be divided into two halves, with three tournaments per season: Bounty, Open, and Rivals. Each event series brings its own format and qualification criteria, targeting different levels of the competitive ladder.
- BLAST Bounty kicks off each season in Malta, hosting 32 teams and offering a total prize pool of $1.15 million, of which $500,000 is allocated to bounty-based achievements. This series uses a single elimination format, with online rounds leading into a LAN quarterfinal.
- BLAST Open introduces group-stage action with 16 teams—12 from VRS rankings and 4 from qualifiers. These will conclude with LAN playoffs, but venues remain unannounced. The total prize pool for each Open is $1.1 million.
- BLAST Rivals will return as a full LAN event, with Season 1 set for Fort Worth, Texas, and Season 2 in Hong Kong. Featuring the top eight globally ranked teams, the competition will follow a GSL format capped by a best-of-five final.
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2027 Shifts to One Continuous Competitive Season
Unlike the 2026 model, BLAST Premier 2027 will operate under a single extended season format featuring six tournaments: two Bounty events, three Opens, and one Rivals. Key dates range from January 11th to November 14th, covering nearly the full calendar year. Locations, formats, and other specifics will be revealed in January 2026, according to BLAST.tv.
A Strategic Move to Strengthen CS2 Esports
BLAST.tv’s commitment to hosting events across Europe, North America, and Asia represents a major step toward regional inclusivity and global engagement in the CS2 scene. The inclusion of qualifiers, wildcard slots, and bounty incentives reflects the organizer’s intent to support rising teams while rewarding top-tier performance.
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