BLAST Open 2026 Season 1: Teams, Format, and Everything You Need to Know
BLAST Open 2026 is an open online stage with $300,000 in prize money. Who's playing, how the format works, and what 16 teams are fighting for.
BLAST Open 2026 Season 1 runs from July 2 to July 12, 2026, entirely online. 16 teams from all regions compete for $300,000 and — more importantly — spots at the next stages of the BLAST Premier Series.
Why BLAST Open Matters
BLAST Open is the entry point into the BLAST Premier system. The winner and runner-up receive direct invitations to BLAST Premier Spring Finals, which traditionally carries one of the biggest prize pools of the year at $425,000+. For teams outside the top 10, this is the main route into the elite.
Format
16 teams split into 2 groups of 8. Each group runs double elimination (GSL format). The group final and third-place match determine 8 teams for the playoff bracket. Playoffs are single elimination — all matches BO3, grand final BO5.
Who's Participating
The field comes from three sources: teams that didn't reach the BLAST Premier Spring 2026 playoffs get automatic invites; the top 4 from BLAST Showdown fill qualifier slots; remaining spots go to EU, NA, SA, and APAC regional qualifiers.
Expected participants include ENCE, Cloud9, Falcons, GamerLegion, NIP, BIG, Heroic, MIBR, and a handful of regional qualifier standouts.
Prize Distribution
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $75,000 |
| 2nd | $40,000 |
| 3rd–4th | $22,500 |
| 5th–8th | $12,500 |
| 9th–12th | $6,250 |
| 13th–16th | $3,750 |
How to Watch
BLAST streams on their official Twitch channel in multiple languages. Matches start at 16:00 CET on weekdays and 13:00 CET on weekends.
It's not the only big tournament this summer: ESL Pro League Season 22 heads to Malta, and IEM Cologne Major is live right now.
