BLAST Premier Updates: October
We’re now ten months into an exciting year of Counter-Strike and our refreshed BLAST Premier season. With BLAST Premier Rivals Hong Kong on the horizon and another full year of competition ahead in 2026, we’ve been continuously refining our approach throughout the season.
As part of this process, we’ve identified several key areas for improvement and are introducing a number of updates and quality-of-life changes designed to enhance the overall team experience across the BLAST Premier circuit.
We recognise that 2025 hasn’t met expectations in some important areas of team servicing. We’ve listened closely to feedback and acknowledge that we’ve fallen short in several respects. As we close out the year and look toward 2026, we’re fully committed to raising our standards, improving transparency and delivering a better experience for all teams competing in BLAST events.
Here are the key improvements we are looking to implement in 2026:
Team Services & On-Site Improvements (2026 Onwards)
- Increasing Accommodation offers: Each team will have two additional hotel rooms reserved that can be purchased if desired, allowing for more staff to stay with teams or to add flexibility.
- Catering Upgrade: Following catering options across 2025, teams will be moving to voucher-based catering wherever available, offering greater freedom on timings and choice of cuisine to suit team requirements. The BLAST team will also provide local research and information on catering options and delivery app accessibility.
- Player Lounges Return: Dedicated team lounges are back for all big arena events, giving players more comfort and space between matches whilst onsite at events.
- Coach Support: BLAST has purchased new printing equipment for on-site printing with dedicated equipment for team staff, to streamline preparation and match-day planning.
- Transport Review: Comprehensive shuttle service review to improve efficiency and convenience for team arrivals and departures.
- Expanded Player Manager Presence: BLAST is increasing PLAYMA headcount at events to better support teams and improve team experience.
Malta Studio Enhancements
- Permanent Local Staff: BLAST is establishing a full-time Malta-based team to ensure our newly built studio continues to meet world-class standards and upgrade on-site amenities
- Accommodation Refresh: BLAST is already reviewing alternative accommodation options for teams, following feedback from BLAST Bounty S2.
