BLAST has announced Rotterdam as the host city for the playoff stage of BLAST Open Season 1. This marks the tournament’s first-ever visit to the Netherlands, with the final six teams set to take the stage at the iconic Rotterdam Ahoy. Unlike the previous Open London, this event returns to a full LAN setting, beginning at BLAST’s Copenhagen studios before moving to the arena.
Crucially, this is the final Tier-1 event before the Major VRS cutoff on April 6th. For many, this will be the last opportunity to secure a spot or a favorable seed for the IEM Cologne Major in June.
Dates and location
🗓️ Group Stage (LAN Studio): March 18th – March 23rd, 2026
📍 Playoffs (Arena): Rotterdam, Netherlands 🇳🇱 (Rotterdam Ahoy)
🗓️ Playoffs Dates: March 27th – March 29th, 2026
💰 Prize: $1,100,000 ($400k Prize Pool + $700k Team Payments)
🎫 Tickets: General sale is live (Presale began Oct 23, 2025)
Format
Group Stage (Copenhagen)
- 16 teams / Two double-elimination (GSL) Groups
- All matches are Bo3
- Group Winners advance to Semifinals
- 2nd & 3rd place teams advance to Quarterfinals
Playoffs (Rotterdam)
- 6-team single-elimination bracket
- Quarterfinals & Semifinals Bo3
- Grand Final Bo5
Teams
Twelve teams are invited via Valve Regional Standings (VRS), while four will join from the Rising qualifiers. All top 12 teams accepted the invitation to the tournament. G2 are the first team on the stand-by list for the event.
| Expected Invites (VRS) | Qualifiers |
| Vitality | Ninjas in Pyjamas |
| Spirit | NRG |
| MOUZ | 9z |
| Natus Vincere | TYLOO |
| FaZe | |
| B8 | |
| FURIA | |
| Falcons | |
| The MongolZ | |
| Liquid | |
| Aurora | |
| PARIVISION |
Talent
Stage Host / Interviewers
- NatTea: Desk host and interviewer
- DarfMike: Desk host and show host
- Iain Chambers: Stage host
- Mauisnake: Analyst
- dupreeh: Analyst
- voo: Analyst
- Pimp: Analyst
- Scrawny: Caster
- launders: Caster
- Anders: Caster
- HenryG: Caster
