Written by Dante Uzel on 17 June 2024 10:40
BLAST has announced significant changes to its Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) circuit in response to Valve's mandate for a more open esports ecosystem. These changes are set to reshape the BLAST Premier format, moving away from its current partner team structure.
According to the release starting in 2025, BLAST Premier will transition to a model featuring six standalone tournaments split across two seasons. This shift aims to increase broadcast hours and allow more teams to participate in BLAST events. The upcoming BLAST Premier season will kick off with events scheduled in Lisbon and London, with additional locations to be revealed later. Alongside these format changes, BLAST has committed to investing $6m directly into teams through a new payment structure.
BLAST also introduced the BLAST Bounty, a new tournament featuring the top 30 CS2 teams along with two wildcard entries. This initiative is poised to add excitement and competitiveness to the CS2 calendar.
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The release stated " From 2025 onwards BLAST Premier fans will have more broadcast hours, more events and more teams to sink their teeth into than ever before. We are ripping up the script at BLAST from next year onwards by introducing a fresh and exciting format that will keep fans and players on the edge of their seats at all times. Valve ranking-based invites and regional qualifiers, alongside dynamic prize pools and incredible arena locations will mean the world’s best teams will be competing on a global platform."
Tags: BLAST Counter Strike