BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 in Counter-Strike 2: Format, Prize Pool, and Schedule

BLAST organizers have officially unveiled the new Counter-Strike 2 tournament, BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2. A total of 32 teams will participate in the competition. Among them, 28 received invites based on the Global VRS world ranking as of June 2, while another 4 teams joined via Wildcard invitations. Meanwhile, several well-known organizations will miss the tournament, including Natus Vincere, 9z, and Legacy.

The initial rounds will be played in a single-elimination bracket, with all matches featuring a best-of-three (Bo3) format. A key feature of the opening stage was the opponent draft, where lower-seeded teams chose their opponents from the top half of the standings. Following the online stage, the top eight teams will advance to the LAN Finals, hosted in Malta from July 30 to August 2.

The total prize pool for the event stands at $1.15 million. This amount is split into two parts: $500,000 constitutes the classic prize money, while $650,000 will be distributed among the clubs. The tournament's main feature is the "bounty" system. In this format, each team is assigned their own "bounty on their head" based on their seeding. The higher a team's ranking before the tournament starts, the larger their bounty, automatically making the favorites the most attractive targets for their opponents.

The financial structure also differs from traditional tournaments. The winner of a match is guaranteed to receive 50% of the defeated team's bounty as prize money, while the other half is added to their own bounty and carries over to the next round. As a result, successful teams gradually accumulate larger rewards, turning themselves into new high-value targets for competitors.

Fixed club payouts depend on the final placement:

• 1st–8th place: $40,000
• 9th–16th place: $26,500
• 17th–32nd place: $7,500

The tournament's opening matches will span four days, from July 21 to July 24. During this period, four best-of-three matches will take place each day.

July 21:

• 13:00 — M80 vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas
• 15:30 — Nemesis vs. Astralis
• 18:00 — Nuclear TigeRES vs. MOUZ
• 20:30 — Alliance vs. Wildcard

July 22:

• 13:00 — EYEBALLERS vs. FaZe
• 15:30 — Nemiga vs. G2
• 18:00 — HOTU vs. GamerLegion
• 20:30 — 100 Thieves vs. Falcons

July 23:

• 13:00 — FOKUS vs. Aurora
• 15:30 — SINNERS vs. FUT
• 18:00 — Gentle Mates vs. paiN
• 20:30 — OG vs. Spirit

July 24:

• 12:00 — 3DMAX vs. magic
• 14:30 — HEROIC vs. The MongolZ
• 17:00 — Liquid vs. Vitality
• 19:30 — Sharks vs. FURIA

Broadcast [UA] Broadcast [EN]

Following the opening matches, the online stage will continue with the second-round pairings and run through July 26, ultimately determining the top 8 teams.

The schedule includes a short break between the conclusion of the online matches and the start of the games on the LAN stage.

Reminder, Team LYON was crowned champion of the Free Fire tournament at the Esports World Cup 2026.