BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 Preview: Teams, Format, Schedule
Only less than a week after ESL Pro League Season 23, we already have another top-tier Counter-Strike 2 event to look forward to, as BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 kicks off on March 18. Here is everything you need to know about the BLAST Open Rotterdam teams, format, schedule, and prize pool.
BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 Event Overview
| Event | BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 |
|---|---|
| Start Date | 18 March 2026 |
| End Date | 29 March 2026 |
| Prize Pool | $1,100,000 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Venue | BLAST Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark and Ahoy Arena, Rotterdam, Netherlands |
BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 Teams
16 of the best Counter-Strike teams in the world will compete for the BLAST Open Rotterdam title. See all the participants below.
VRS Invited Teams
12 teams were directly invited through VRS rankings on February 2026:
- Team Vitality: The undisputed number one team in the world. Team Vitality enter this tournament as heavy favorites.
- FURIA: If there’s one team that can contend with Vitality, it’s FURIA. The Brazilian squad is looking to bag their first trophy in 2026.
- MOUZ: The MOUZ squad is always capable of making deep runs into tournaments, and are a likely contender to reach the playoffs stage at the very least.
- Team Falcons: The star-studded roster of Falcons have had a rough start to 2026, failing to field their complete rosters in previous tournaments. We’re expecting them to finally play with their full lineup here in Rotterdam, so, they’re looking to make up for lost time.
- PARIVISION: The most recent BLAST Premier winners. Jame and company lifted the trophy at BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 and are looking to defend their title.
- Natus Vincere: The international NAVI squad are fresh off lifting the ESL Pro League S23 title just days ago. They’re looking to win two tournaments in a row.
- Aurora: The Turkish squad had the shorter end of the stick, losing the grand final of ESL Pro League to NAVI. Aurora are still hungry for their first S-Tier title. Can Rotterdam be the one?
- Team Spirit: donk and company are yet to find any success this year. Winning the title here in Rotterdam will make up for their slow start.
- TheMongolZ: You can never count TheMongolZ out of any tournament – they’re a team with some of the sharpest aimers in the world. However, they enter their event without their coach.
- FaZe Clan: After making it to the grand final of the Major, FaZe are yet to post any notable results this year. If they don’t perform well in Rotterdam, roster changes could be in the cards.
- B8: The underdog squad of B8 qualified for this event through VRS rankings. They are looking to prove themselves here at this event.
- Team Liquid: Team Liquid have just replaced NertZ for malbsMd, and are set to debut their new roster in this tournament.
Qualified Teams
The remaining four teams had to qualify for the event through their respective regions:
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (Rising Europe): The Ninjas in Pyjamas have been tearing through the Tier 2 scene. Let’s see if they can put up the same fight against higher-level competition.
- NRG Esports (Rising North America): The North American squad of NRG have looked promising over the past few months, and performing well at this tournament will inspire some confidence for their region.
- 9z (Rising South America): It’s been a while since we saw 9z in a Tier 1 tournament. This is a fearless group of players, but they enter this tournament as one of the lowest-ranked teams.
- TYLOO (Rising Asia): If you’re looking for an underdog to root for, it’s TYLOO. They are arguably the weakest team in this event, but that could turn into an advantage.
PARIVISION are the defending BLAST champions. (Image via Stephanie Lindgren for BLAST)
BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 Format and Schedule
If you’re looking to take part in CS2 betting throughout the event, it’s important to understand the format and how it works. BLAST Open Rotterdam will feature two phases:
Group Stage (March 18 – 23)
- Venue: BLAST Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark (Studio)
Every esports tournament starts with a group stage, and BLAST Open Rotterdam will be no different:
- 16 teams are divided into two groups of eight.
- Teams are placed into a double-elimination bracket in each group.
- Only three out of eight teams from each group will advance to the playoffs.
- The winners of the group stage advance directly to the semifinals.
- The two runner ups will advance to the quarterfinals.
- All matches in this phase will be played in Best of 3 format.
Playoffs (March 27 – 29)
- Venue: Ahoy Arena, Rotterdam, Netherlands (Arena)
After the group stage ends, the six survivors book a flight to the Netherlands to compete in the playoffs. There will be a three-day intermission between the group stage and the playoffs:
- Six teams are seeded into a single-elimination bracket.
- The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in Best of 3 format.
- The grand final will feature a Best of 5 format.
This is the same format BLAST has used throughout most of their Counter-Strike 2 events. Teams cannot afford to start slow, as there’s little room for error.
Every team is gunning for the playoffs. (Image via Stephanie Lindgren for BLAST)
BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 Prize Pool and Distribution
BLAST Open Rotterdam features a prize pool of $1,100,000 to be distributed within the 16 participants. Every team is gunning to win the lion’s share of $250,000 for first place. Take a look at how the prize pool is distributed below.
| Team Placement | Prize Money Earned |
|---|---|
| 1st | $150,000 + $100,000 Club Share |
| 2nd | $60,000 + $100,000 Club Share |
| 3rd – 4th | $40,000 + $75,000 Club Share |
| 5th – 6th | $20,000 + $55,000 Club Share |
| 7th – 8th | $10,000 + $40,000 Club Share |
| 9th – 12th | $7,500 + $25,000 Club Share |
| 13th – 16th | $5,000 + $15,000 Club Share |
It’s worth noting the majority of the prize pool is distributed towards Club Share, creating an incentive for organizations to continue backing their rosters. Only $400,000 out of the $1,100,000 will be distributed to players directly.
On top of a larger share in prize money, teams that finish within the top six also earn BLAST Frequent Flyer Points. These points are part of the tournament organizer’s revenue sharing program. BLAST tallies the points at the end of the year, and the teams will split an additional $2,000,000 based on their performance.
Owen lives for competition, spending most of his gaming hours on Dota 2, CS2, and Valorant. A regular on the SEA Dota 2 leaderboards, he combines his first-hand experience with a deep passion for esports journalism, following the professional scenes of all three esports betting titles religiously. When he’s not writing, he’s most probably betting on esports and watching the latest events.
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