Tournament organizer BLAST announced a tournament for second-tier teams. Teams that are still outside the top 20 of the world rankings will be able to compete for a prize fund of 30,000 euros. FantasyExpo will be a partner of the event. A similar tournament was already held last year, but this year the number of participants was increased from 16 to 24 teams.
It remains unclear exactly how participants will be selected or invited, but the organizers mention that they expect to attract teams from different countries. The competition will take place from May 3 to May 23, that is, in parallel with Flashpoint 3 – the first ranking tournament of the year in Europe.
Teams participating in BLAST Rising will be divided into six groups, each of which will compete for two tickets to the playoffs using the double elimination system. Those who finish third in their group will be able to compete for four additional places in the playoffs. All matches will be played according to the best-of-3 system. Thus, a total of sixteen teams will advance to the final stage of the tournament.
BLAST Premier Andrew Howarth noted that he is happy to give teams outside the top 20 a chance to shine: “An opportunity to expand the CS:GO landscape and attract more diverse teams to contribute to creating a sustainable ecosystem – this is really important for everyone involved in BLAST."
