BLAST, an esports organizer, has decided to revive its Counter-Strike 2 circuit with its BLAST Premier format. The company has decided to revamp its Premier format with a standalone tournament, allowing gaming teams to participate in more broadcast hours. Valve, the esports organizer, has taken this decision to open more opportunities for Conter-Strick in the esports ecosystem.
Valve has plans to put an end to the franchise-style league in Counter-Strike since last year. Now, the company is conducting changes in BLAST format and has a plan to open up a new esports ecosystem at the start of 2025. The company claimed that the BLAST Premier current format, the ‘partner team’ structure, will continue alongside a few slots open to non-partner teams vie qualifiers.
BLAST’s New Plans To Change BLAST Premier
The BLAST current structure contains 16 permanent teams who bought in and received guaranteed investments. According to the new 2025 BLAST Premier plan, the event will contain 6 standalone tournaments that will be categorized into two seasons. The first event will take place in Lisbon and London, and the company is planning to release more sets in the future.
Additionally, the tournament organizers will have introduced the BLAST Bounty for the top 30 CS2 teams and two wildcards. Each team earning half of the bounty will benefit with guaranteed payouts. The remaining bounty will be carried over into the next patch and will added to the existing bounty of the tournament.
The organizer of the tournament also unveiled the BLAST Open, where 16 teams under Valve Global Ranking will have to compete with 4 qualifier teams from BLAST Premier. The Open will be played from BLAST’s studio in Copenhagen before moving to the finals organized in various cities. In addition, the Premier format will also contain BLAST Rivals, where the top 8 ranked teams will battle with each other to win the whole tournament.
Investments And Tournament Partners Of BLAST Premier
Andrew Haworth, VP of Ecosystem for BLAST, Valve, and Riot Games, has commented in the news that 2025 is going to be the most exciting year for BLAST. The tournament organizer announced an investment of $6 million directly in the teams through a new payment structure. The company has not revealed any details about the payment structure and price pool.
The organizers have also said that BLAST Premier is one of the best and freshest formats for the fans and players that will maintain the excitement throughout the tournament. The world’s best team for Valve Ranking and regional qualifiers will compete on a global platform for the dynamic prize pool. With this new format, Counter-Strike expects to enter the esports scene, including DOTA 2, Rainbow Six Seige, Rocket League, and Fortnite.
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