BLAST Open Rotterdam invitations revealed

Esports match organiser BLAST has revealed the 12 Counter-Strike groups which have accepted invites for the upcoming BLAST Open Rotterdam occasion.

Happening from March twenty seventh to twenty ninth at Rotterdam’s Ahoy Enviornment, the 12 groups be a part of 4 that earned a spot by way of regional qualifiers.

Unveiled on February ninth, all the high 12 groups from January’s Valve Regional Standings (VRS) have accepted an invite to compete on the Tier 1 match. Consequently, BLAST Open London champions G2 Esports narrowly missed out on an invite on account of inserting thirteenth within the world standings.

IEM Krakow winner Crew Vitality has one other alternative so as to add an eleventh trophy to its ever-expanding assortment, whereas runner-up, FURIA, seems to avenge its loss with one other deep run.

The total listing of groups competing at BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 is as follows:

For almost all of groups attending the occasion, BLAST Open Rotterdam takes place three days after the ESL Professional League Season 23 Finals, going down from March thirteenth to fifteenth at Stockholm’s Annexet.

The 16-team occasion will get underway with the Group Stage going down from March 18th to twenty third at BLAST’s Copenhagen studios. Groups are break up into two teams of eight, with the highest three groups from every advancing to the playoffs.

Winners of the Group Stage start the playoffs within the semi-finals, whereas the runners-up begin the single-elimination bracket within the quarter-finals because the excessive seed. The low seed additionally secures a spot within the quarter-finals because the low seed.

All through the Group Stage, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, groups will compete in best-of-threes till the Grand Ultimate, the place a best-of-five will decide the eventual champion.