For the last few years, BLAST Premier Showdown has served as a way for underdogs to force their way into the BLAST Premier circuit and throw down with some of the biggest and baddest in the world.
But in 2025, we’re going so, so much bigger - this is BLAST Rising.
As Andrew Haworth, VP of Valve & Riot Ecosystems at BLAST, explains:
“BLAST Rising provide a great opportunity for teams across the world to receive direct investment, to prove they’re the best team in their region, gain valuable ranking points over regional rivals and win the opportunity to play against the best teams in the world on a grand stage. Over $300,000 per year will be paid directly to regional teams as participation fees across the four Rising regions providing valuable investment.” - Andrew Haworth, VP of Valve & Riot Ecosystems at BLAST
Where BLAST Premier Showdowns used to offer two teams from across the world to compete in that season’s respective Final, BLAST Rising will give four teams - one from each major region - the opportunity to stamp their mark on the CS world at BLAST Open.
Oh, and if you need clarification, those regions are: Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.
Featuring Open and Closed Qualifiers in each of these regions, the 4 teams at the top of the Regional Valve Rankings (who aren’t already directly invited to the Open) are directly invited to the BLAST Rising Finals where they will immediately earn a $10,000 participation fee. The next 12 teams in the regional rankings are invited to the Closed Qualifier where they will be joined by 4 teams who have qualified from regional Open Qualifiers.
The Closed Qualifiers will see the 16 teams competing split into four groups, and in those groups, they will play a full BO3, double-elimination bracket to decide the four victors that will join the 4 directly invited teams in the Finals
The BLAST Rising Finals will then be an eight-team, single-elimination Bo3 tournament where the eight best teams from a region can seek bragging rights over their competitors, crowned champions of their region and earn themselves a spot representing the region BLAST Open.
Season 1:
Europe - Relog Media Qualifier Partner
Invitation Date: 03/02
Open Qualifiers: 04/02
Closed Qualifiers: 05/02 - 07/02
Final: 08/02 - 09/02
North America - Liga Ace Qualifier Partner
Invitation Date: 03/02
Open Qualifiers: 07/02
Closed Qualifiers: 08/02 - 10/02
Final: 13/02 - 14/02
South America - Liga Ace Qualifier Partner
Invitation Date: 03/02
Open Qualifiers: 05/02
Closed Qualifiers: 06/02 - 08/02
Final: 09/02 - 10/02
Asia - GGTV Qualifier Partner
Invitation Date: 03/02
Open Qualifiers: 05/02
Closed Qualifiers: 06/02 - 08/02
Final: 09/02 - 10/02
Season 2
Europe - Relog Media Qualifier Partner
Invitation Date: 14/07
Open Qualifiers: 27/07
Closed Qualifiers: 29/07 - 31/07
Final: 01/08 - 03/08
North America - Liga Ace Qualifier Partner
Invitation Date: 14/07
Open Qualifiers: 27/07
Closed Qualifiers: 29/07 - 31/07
Final: 01/08 - 03/08
South America - Liga Ace Qualifier Partner
Invitation Date: 14/07
Open Qualifiers: 27/07
Closed Qualifiers: 29/07 - 31/07
Final: 01/08 - 03/08
Asia - ESN Qualifier Partner
Invitation Date: 14/07
Open Qualifiers: 27/07
Closed Qualifiers: 29/07 - 31/07
BLAST ApS., Hauser Plads 1, 3., 1127 Copenhagen