BLAST Global Finals features Liquid vs Astralis in first round

M Alzamora Published 14/11/2019

The BLAST Pro Series has announced the starting matches for the upcoming BLAST Global Finals.

BLAST Pro Series released the starting matches for the BLAST Global Finals, setting the stage for the end of BLAST’s first circuit season. According to BLAST, team seeding for the groups was determined by the total number of points each team accrued over the seven qualifying BLAST Pro Series tournaments. At the conclusion of the season, four teams clearly led the pack.

• FaZe Clan – 30 Points
• Team Liquid – 28 Points
• Astralis – 26 Points
• Ninjas in Pyjamas – 24 points

Na`Vi, Cloud9 and MIBR failed to make it to the Global Finals, with Na`VI and MIBR only scoring 12 points apiece over the season. Cloud9 also underperformed with a total of six points.

BLAST Pro Series Global Finals is unique among tournaments, especially since the BLAST event consists of only four teams. But the number of teams attending the tournament mimics the other oddities of BLAST’s format and may serve to draw viewers out of sheer curiosity. Day 1 of the BLAST Global Finals is essential the third or fourth day of any other big tournament.

As opposed to the classic BLAST format with best-of-one games, all of the Global Final matches are best-of-threes. Another switch in format from the BLAST regular season is that matches will happen one after another instead of concurrently, as has been the norm at BLAST events since their inception. This switch could serve as a preview for next year’s rebrand to BLAST Premiere. should event organizers decide to change up the tournament series formula.

BLAST Global Finals sets stage for BLAST Premiere with Global Finals

Featuring a $500,000 prize pool and a $350,000 first-place prize, the BLAST Global Final will serve as a preview for BLAST Premiere, the new circuit’s two six-month seasons and $1 million grand final. 

The switch in format officially makes early November’s BLAST Copenhagen the last time viewers will ever see the original BLAST format in action. 

Astralis vs Liquid and FaZe vs NiP comprise Global Finals Day 1 

The BLAST Global Final initial matchups are already set for the best-of-three double-elimination bracket. Team Liquid and Astralis will face off in the first round while FaZe and NiP will match up on the other side of the bracket on day one.

Team Liquid has looked lost recently, and with Astralis doling out the pain and taking home an impressive undefeated victory at IEM Beijing, what once would have been a must-see match now entirely depends on Liquid’s form.

On the other side of the bracket, FaZe looks energized with the addition of Helvijs “broky” Saukants and has an advantage over an NiP team that looks nothing like they did at their peak. Despite this, NiP’s recent win over G2 in their ESL Pro League group means an upset is at least possible.

The BLAST Global Finals will also see the return of the BLAST Show-Off show match. One-on-one showings between any of these teams’ players will be a treat for fans. 

The BLAST Global Finals will be held at the ISA Sports City facility in Riffa, Bahrain, starting December 12. FaZe and NiP take the stage first, directly followed by Astralis and Team Liquid. Day 2 features the same start times for the upper and lower bracket finals.

Thursday, December 12

5:00 AM EST

• FaZe vs Ninjas in Pyjamas

9:00 AM

• Team Liquid vs Astralis

Friday, December 13

5:00 AM EST

• Upper bracket final

9:00 AM

• Lower bracket final

Saturday, December 14

5:00 AM EST

• Consolidation Final

8:45 AM EST

• BLAST Stand-Off

10:00 AM EST

• BLAST Global Final

December 14 will host the final BLAST games of the year, starting with the BLAST Stand-Off at 5 AM EST and followed by the lower bracket finals. The event culminates in the grand final match between the remaining teams at 10 AM EST.

M Alzamora

About M Alzamora

There are few things that writer M Alzamora loves more in life than Pokemon. And there are even fewer things that she loves more than her favorite Pokemon, Eevee. But M’s appreciation for gaming isn’t just limited to Nintendo’s famous pocket monsters. She’s interested in every type of game across every genre of gaming, and she has the credentials to prove it. M’s work has also been seen on Working Classicists and gaming sites.

View full profile

Read Also

Counter-Strike

XSE Pro League 2026 in China: Teams, format and prize pool Owen Harsono Counter-Strike is back after the IEM Cologne Major, as the XSE Pro League 2026 is the first notable event since then. 16 teams book flights to China to compete in the million-dollar event. Here’s everything you need to know about the XSE Pro League 2026 event. Top-tier Counter-Strike returns to the passionate grounds of China, as the event will take place in the city of Guangzhou. Teams will play in ...

Esports Betting

Will Valve add Cache in the CS2 Premier Season 5 Active Duty map pool? Wasif Ahmed Following the highly anticipated return of Cache to Counter-Strike 2 earlier this season, the competitive community has almost started believing that the legendary industrial map would soon make its way into the Active Duty map pool for Premier Season 5. This expectation followed a pattern set by Train, which Valve brought back late last year before quickly pushing it into the main professional tournament rotation. However, in a recent Twitter ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Grand Final: Team Falcons vs FURIA best betting predictions Owen Harsono Coming into the IEM Cologne Major, nobody would have expected a grand final series between Team Falcons and FURIA, but here we are. Will NiKo finally win his first Major, or will FalleN win another one before retiring at the end of the year? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Grand Final predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Grand Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-five Betting tip: Team Falcons ...

Counter-Strike

Team Spirit vs Team Falcons IEM Cologne Major: betting predictions and picks Owen Harsono We’re in for a treat, as Team Spirit will take on Team Falcons for a spot in the IEM Cologne Major grand final. Will NiKo finally get another shot at winning a Major, or will donk and company prevent him from accomplishing his lifelong goal? Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Spirit vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: Semi-Final Game: Counter-Strike 2 Format: Best-of-three Betting ...

Counter-Strike

Vitality vs Falcons betting predictions and best picks: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Owen Harsono We’re treated to a possible grand final matchup here in the quarterfinal of the IEM Cologne Major, with Team Vitality taking on Team Falcons in an elimination match. These are two of the highest-profile teams in the game right now, but only one of them can continue their chase for the trophy. Here are our IEM Cologne Major Team Vitality vs Team Falcons predictions. Tournament: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage: ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs preview: matchups & predictions Owen Harsono The top eight teams at the IEM Cologne 2026 Major are set. Most of the favorites easily secured their spots, but we also have promising underdogs sneaking into the bracket. To keep you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major playoffs. We started with 32 teams and are now only down to eight. After a grueling Stage 3, teams have been seeded into ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Playoffs Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...