BLAST announces changes to the 2026 Open tournament format: expanded qualifying system, optimized prize money distribution

BLAST officials recently announced that they will adjust the 2026 Open tournament system, mainly including expanding the qualification system and optimizing the prize distribution mechanism. The adjustment aims to enhance the competitiveness of the event, expand the chances of promotion, and improve the prize mechanism.

Expanding the Qualifying System

The 2026 BLAST Open will be held from March 16 to 29, and the specific location has not yet been determined. According to the official announcement, after the adjustment of the competition system, 16 new Valve Regional Ranking (VRS) invitation places will be added, and 16 additional open qualifiers will be provided and allocated to four regional closed qualifiers. The winning teams of each regional closed qualifier will advance to the main competition together with the top 12 VRS teams. The closed qualifiers will replace the existing BLAST promotion tournaments and provide more teams with the opportunity to advance.

Optimize the bonus distribution mechanism

Another adjustment to the BLAST Open involves the prize distribution mechanism. The official announcement stated that the total prize money for the 2026 event will remain unchanged, but the distribution method will be more refined. The prize money will be linked to the team's actual performance in the event, rather than based on the ranking when invited. This adjustment is intended to ensure that outstanding teams receive fairer rewards while motivating high-ranking teams to actively participate.