BLAST Bounty 2027: open qualifiers begin on 22 November in Europe and South America
The road to BLAST Bounty 2027 Season 1 opens on 22 November with online open qualifiers in Europe and South America. Closed qualifiers follow on 1-3 January, days before the US$1.25m LAN in Malta.
The qualification path to BLAST Bounty 2027 Season 1 begins on 22 November, when online open qualifiers for Europe and South America get under way. Operated by Relog Media, they lead to closed qualifiers on 1-3 January 2027, with one place at the US$1,250,000 season opener in Malta available in each region.
The schedule was published on 8 November under the RES Showdown Season 5 banner. It matters more than a typical qualifier announcement because BLAST has rebuilt the Bounty for 2027. The field has been cut from 32 teams to 16, the whole event is now played on LAN, and regional qualifiers have been added as the only route in for teams that miss a direct invite.
Dates and divisions
- Europe open qualifiers: 22 November from 12:00 CET, split into four divisions (Nordic, West, East and Adriatic)
- South America open qualifier 1: 22 November at 15:00 CET
- South America open qualifier 2: 23 November at 15:00 CET
- Closed qualifiers: 1-3 January 2027
- Main event: listed for 14-24 January 2027 in Malta
Teams register division by division through the operator's website, six open qualifiers in total across the two regions. Bracket formats and broadcast plans for the open stage were not detailed in the announcement. Dates for the North American and Asian qualifiers were not part of it either.
How the qualifiers feed the main event
Under BLAST's 2027 structure, four regions each stage a closed qualifier: Europe, North America, South America and Asia. Each closed qualifier has four teams invited through the regional Valve standings and four that come through the open qualifiers. All qualifier matches are played online, and each region sends one team to Malta.
Those four qualifiers join 12 teams invited directly through Valve's global rankings, based on the 2 November update. Invitations went out on 3 November, and invited teams have until 13:00 UTC on 17 November to rescind their participation. Seeding for the main event is set for 7 December.
What the qualifiers are playing for
BLAST Bounty 2027 Season 1 will be held at the BLAST Arena Studios in Ta' Qali, Malta, and is the first tier-one event of the new year. Earlier editions opened with an online week; this time every match is played in the studio.
The event starts with a play-in of four double-elimination groups of four, played as best-of-three series. The top four seeds are placed in separate groups, and the remaining teams draft their way in, with the lowest seeds choosing first. Group winners advance directly to the quarter-finals. The teams finishing second and third enter a Last Chance Qualifier, where eight sides contest the final four playoff spots. Fourth-placed teams are eliminated.
The playoffs are single elimination, best-of-three, with a best-of-five grand final. The draft continues there too: Last Chance Qualifier matches are drawn in advance, and the group winners choose where those matches sit in the bracket.
Where the money goes
- US$750,000 is paid out according to final placement
- US$320,000 is distributed as bounties
- US$180,000 rewards group and Last Chance Qualifier results
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 17 November 2026, 13:00 UTC | Deadline for invited teams to rescind participation |
| 22 November 2026, 12:00 CET | European open qualifiers start (Nordic, West, East, Adriatic) |
| 22 November 2026, 15:00 CET | South America open qualifier 1 |
| 23 November 2026, 15:00 CET | South America open qualifier 2 |
| 7 December 2026 | Main event seeding |
| 1-3 January 2027 | Closed qualifiers |
| 14-24 January 2027 | BLAST Bounty 2027 Season 1 in Malta |
Frequently asked questions
When do the BLAST Bounty 2027 Season 1 qualifiers start?
The European and South American open qualifiers begin on 22 November 2026, with a second South American open qualifier on 23 November. The closed qualifiers are scheduled for 1-3 January 2027.
How many teams qualify through the regional qualifiers?
Four of the 16 places are decided by closed regional qualifiers in Europe, North America, South America and Asia, with one spot per region. The other 12 teams are invited through Valve's global rankings.
Where and when is the main event?
BLAST Bounty 2027 Season 1 is played at the BLAST Arena Studios in Ta' Qali, Malta, and is listed for 14-24 January 2027. The whole tournament is played on LAN.
What is the prize pool?
The prize pool is US$1,250,000, split between US$750,000 for final placement, US$320,000 in bounties and US$180,000 for group and Last Chance Qualifier results. A further US$400,000 is paid in acceptance fees.