BLAST has laid out plans to increase its investment in the world of Counter-Strike 2 esports, all as part of its efforts to update its formats and "to deliver a more sustainable and premium experience for teams, players and fans."
As explained by programme director for BLAST Premier, Anne Banschbach, the aim is to further commit to LAN tournaments, to have a stronger Valve Ranking System impact, to remove main event online matches, and to ensure that the most important games are played on major stages around the world.
To this end, expect more routes into the BLAST ecosystem, the introduction of acceptance fees and greater investment into team and player hospitality, plus an improved calendar that should add around 50 hours of broadcasts for fans to enjoy.
Ultimately, this will deliver around $3 million in prize money over the 2027 season, alongside teams and players being rewarded for their performance at each event. It should make competing in BLAST-hosted events more rewarding and desirable for the biggest teams around the world.
Looking at the 2027 calendar, the planned events and confirmed locations for a handful include the following:
- BLAST Premier Event 1 - 13th - 24th January (Schengen)
- BLAST Premier Event 2 - 15th - 28th March (TBA)
- BLAST Premier Event 3 - 10th - 23rd May (TBA)
- BLAST Premier Event 4 - 30th August - 12th September (TBA)
- BLAST Premier Event 5 - 4th - 17th October (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)
- BLAST Premier Event 6 - 8th - 14th November (TBA)
