Esports tournament organiser BLAST has revealed a revamped BLAST Premier circuit for the 2027 season.
The tournament organiser has committed $10m (~£7.4m) across its Bounty, Open, and Rivals events. Moreover, BLAST will redesign formats to try and deliver a more sustainable Counter-Strike event experience for teams and fans.
Revealed over the weekend, BLAST describes the changes as a ‘bold new chapter for competitive Counter-Strike,’ as it seeks to create long-term sustainability in addition to raising the stakes across its event slate.
For 2027, BLAST’s multi-million-dollar investment includes $3m (~£2.2m) in prize money and the creation of Acceptance Fees, a new participation initiative given to esports organisations that accept invitations to compete in events. The new initiative enables the tournament organiser to reward teams at a faster rate, resulting in increased sustainability.
“We are evolving BLAST Premier to better serve the entire Counter-Strike ecosystem,” said Anne Banschbach, Programme Director for BLAST Premier.
“Increasing our investment to $10 million is not just about bigger prize pools, it is about revamping our formats to deliver a more sustainable and premium experience for teams, players, and fans. “
BLAST Premier Returns To Brazil
The 2027 BLAST Premier circuit features six Tier 1 tournaments taking place from January to November. The first event takes place from January 11th to 24th in an undisclosed location at the Schengen Area.
From October 4th to 17th, BLAST will host an event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, marking the first time the organiser has hosted an event in the country since 2019, when it hosted a Pro Series event in São Paulo.
The full 2027 event schedule can be found below:
- Event 1 – January 11th to 24th
- Event 2 – March 15th to 28th
- Event 3 – May 10th to 23rd
- Event 4 – August 30th to September 12th
- Event 5 – October 4th to 17th (Rio de Janeiro)
- Event 6 – November 8th to 14th
BLAST Event Format Changes
Since its inception, BLAST Bounty has featured an online phase with 32 teams competing in a single-elimination bracket to earn places at the LAN finals. For 2027, Bounty events will take place exclusively on LAN, strengthening its Valve Regional Standings (VRS) value.
In addition to a full switch to LAN, the team size has halved from 32 to 16, raising the stakes for teams in attendance.
The tournament also features a new qualification pathway, with regional qualifiers for Europe, Asia, and the Americas, enabling more teams to book a place in the main event.
BLAST Rivals tournaments retain the same format as 2026, with eight invited teams competing for the trophy. Next year, the prize pool will increase to $1.25m (~£928,743).
Further Team Experience Investment
In October 2025, BLAST revealed plans to improve the experience for teams competing in its tournaments throughout 2026. For 2027, the organiser will commit an additional $700,000 (~£519,995) to elevate their experiences while competing at events.
The investment will go towards improvements in accommodation and travel conditions, to minimise travel fatigue for players and staff competing in an increasingly congested tournament calendar.
