BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 is a Counter-Strike Tier 1 stop running March 18–29, and it is the last major opportunity to earn VRS points before the IEM Cologne 2026 Major invite cutoff on April 6. BLAST Premier announced the 16-team field and shared opening-day matchups.
Welcoming our 16 teams who will be attending the BLAST Open Rotterdam this March! 👋🇳🇱#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/7xnMN7UEoq
— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) February 9, 2026
March 18th:@FalconsEsport vs @nrgcs2 @natusvincere vs @B8esportsGG @FaZeEsports vs @AuroraCS2_GG @FURIA vs @tyloogaming
March 19th:@parivisiongg vs @NIPCS @Team__Spirit vs @TeamLiquidCS @mousesports vs @1mongolz @TeamVitalityCS vs @9zTeam #BLASTPremier
— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) February 19, 2026
Schedule and format
Dates and structure:
- Event dates: March 18–29, 2026.
- Group stage: March 18–23, 2026.
- Playoffs: March 27–29, 2026, with the grand final on March 29.
Group stage format:
- Two groups of eight teams, double-elimination.
- The top team from each group advances directly to the semi-finals.
- Group runners-up and lower-bracket winners advance to the quarter-finals.
- All group-stage matches are best-of-three.
Playoffs format:
- Six-team single-elimination bracket.
- All playoff matches are best-of-three, except the Grand Final which is best-of-five.
Teams competing (16):
- Vitality
- MOUZ
- Falcons
- FURIA
- Parivision
- Spirit
- Aurora
- Natus Vincere
- The MongolZ
- FaZe
- 9z
- B8
- NRG
- Ninjas in Pyjamaz
- Liquid
- Tyloo
Prize pool:
- Total prize pool: $1,100,000
- Club Share: $700,000
- First place: $250,000 (of which $150,000 is Club Share)
Locations: Group-stage matches will be played at BLAST Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark, while the playoffs will take place at Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
How to watch: BLAST Open Rotterdam will stream on BLAST Premier channels, including BLAST Premier Twitch and BLAST Premier YouTube.
This tournament is the final Tier 1 event before the VRS invite cutoff for the IEM Cologne 2026 Major on April 6, making VRS points the primary prize for many organizations. If standings were frozen on April 6 in their current state, FaZe, Liquid, B8, NiP, and Tyloo would be outside the VRS threshold for an invitation from their regions. Strong LAN results here can radically change that picture. For example, a run of three wins at this event would make FaZe extremely likely to qualify for the Major, provided they find consistent form.
Teams such as Aurora, Natus Vincere, and NRG are also chasing points with stage placement in mind. The top six European teams will take Stage 3 slots at Cologne. Natus Vincere are currently set to start in Stage 2, while NRG are set to start in Stage 1; good results in Rotterdam could move them up one stage.
Who do you think will shine or suffer at BLAST Open Rotterdam? Share your predictions in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.
