BLAST Premier organizers have officially unveiled the schedule and details for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Over the next two years, CS2 fans can look forward to large-scale tournaments across the USA, Europe, Asia, and Malta, with record-breaking prize pools and a revamped event structure.
BLAST Bounty 2026: Malta and the Hunt for Favorites
In 2026, two Bounty series tournaments will be held — both hosted in Malta. The format will feature 32 teams: 28 invited via the Valve Global Rankings and 4 wildcard slots. Matches will follow a Single Elimination (Bo3) format, with a Bo5 grand final.
A unique feature of the format is the “bounty system”: defeating a team with a high VRS rating grants a financial reward.
Prize Pool:
- $1.15 million per tournament
Invitations:
- Bounty S1 — VRS as of December 1, 2025
- Bounty S2 — VRS as of June 1, 2026
BLAST Open 2026: European Arenas and The Risings Qualifiers
The Open series remains the flagship of BLAST. Two tournaments are scheduled in 2026: one in Europe (location TBD), and another TBA. Each event will feature 16 teams: 12 via the global ranking and 4 through The Risings qualifiers. Group stages will be played in-studio, with playoffs taking place in a large arena.
- Format: Double Elimination groups (Bo3), 6-team playoffs, Bo5 grand final
- Prize Pool: $1.1 million per tournament
BLAST Rivals 2026: Only the Best in Fort Worth
The first Rivals event of 2026 will be hosted at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. Only the top 8 teams in the VRS rankings will participate. The format will be GSL (Bo3), with a Bo5 grand final, all played on LAN.
- Prize Pool: $1 million ($350,000 as direct prize money, $650,000 based on final placements)
- Rivals S2 2026 — location to be announced later
- In 2027, there will be only one Rivals event — a Wildcard edition to conclude the season.
Overall Prize Pool and Loyalty System
In 2026, BLAST will invest $8.5 million into the CS2 competitive ecosystem, including direct team payments and participation bonuses.
Breakdown:
- $2.5 million — prize pools
- $4 million — position-based team payments
- $2 million — Frequent Flyers Programme
The Frequent Flyers Programme rewards teams for consistent participation. Teams earn tokens for each event attended, advancing to week two, or winning a tournament. At year’s end, the $2 million pool is distributed based on token totals. Teams that decline participation lose all seasonal bonuses.
BLAST Premier 2027: New Competitive Structure
In 2027, BLAST will adopt a new competition model:
- 2 Bounty series tournaments
- 3 Open series tournaments
- 1 Rivals Wildcard season finale
More details on qualifiers, venues, and team payments will be released in January 2026.
BLAST continues its focus on innovation, global reach, and sustainable support for the esports ecosystem. The 2026–2027 seasons are set to be among the most ambitious in the history of the tournament series.
Source: blast.tv
