BLAST Premier 2026 and 2027 schedule, locations and format

Esports tournament organiser BLAST has announced the details for the Counter-Strike 2 BLAST Premier 2026 and 2027 seasons, including schedule, locations and format.

While six tournaments will take place each year, the tournament organiser will follow different models.

2026 will be split into two seasons—Season 1 and Season 2, with each featuring three events.

Each Bounty tournament will host 32 teams, including the top 28 squads from the Valve Global Rankings and four wildcard entries selected by BLAST.

The event will follow a single elimination format, with the first two rounds played online on European servers and quarterfinals onward on a LAN setting.

Moreover, each tournament will feature a $1.15m in prizes, with $500,000 (£366,434) awarded based on bounty achievements and the rest distributed based on final placements.

The top 12 from the VRS rankings and four through The Risings qualifiers will be split into two groups to battle in best-of-three double-elimination brackets.

The top six will advance to a LAN event featuring a single-elimination playoffs; however, exact locations for both editions are yet to be revealed.

A prize pool totaling $1.1m (~£806,156) will be up for grabs, which will be paid to the teams according to the final standings.

Returning to Texas, BLAST Rivals will be a full LAN event featuring the top eight teams from the Global VRS standings.

It will follow a best-of-three GSL format, ending with a best-of-five showdown to crown the ultimate champion.  

At the end of the tournament, a total of $1.1m (~£806,156) will be awarded to the participating teams based on their rankings.

In 2027, the format will shift to a single season featuring six tournaments—two Bounty, three Open and one Rivals event. Check out the detailed schedule for each tournament below:

BLAST.tv will reveal additional information regarding event locations, formats, and more in January 2026.