Tournament organiser BLAST has announced a Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 partnership with cryptocurrency-based prediction market Polymarket for 2026.
The deal will include its BLAST Premier (CS2) and BLAST Slam (Dota 2) series. The collaboration kicks off with BLAST Slam VI, which is set to begin its studio phase in Malta from February 13th to 15th.
BLAST stated that as part of this deal, Polymarket will be integrated into its broadcast. This includes offering prediction-focused content, desk segments referencing the platform’s markets, and branding on live streams.
Furthermore, for on-ground events, the prediction market will bring the ‘Polymarket Fancam’, along with dedicated streaming booths that will host creators and streamers.
“Esports has long been dominated by traditional sportsbooks, but prediction markets open the door to a more transparent and community-driven way for fans to engage with competition,” said Matthew Modabber, CMO of Polymarket.
“Partnering with BLAST brings that experience to a global audience and helps make prediction markets a natural part of how people watch, debate, and follow competitive gaming. We see this as the beginning of a new chapter for fan participation in esports.”
Today’s announcement comes after BLAST revealed that ASUS is returning as the official monitor, PC, laptop, keyboard, and mouse partner for BLAST Premier events in 2026.
“Esports is evolving rapidly into a more interactive, data-driven entertainment experience, and we are delighted to team up with Polymarket to bring exciting new engagement opportunities to our fans all around the world,” added Alexander Lewin, SVP of Commercial Revenue at BLAST.
BLAST Gears Up for BLAST Slam VI and BLAST Open S1 2026
Polymarket will make its debut as a BLAST partner at Dota 2’s BLAST Slam VI event. However, its first on-ground activation will be seen at the next arena event, Counter-Strike’s BLAST Open Rotterdam.
BLAST Slam VI is set to host its playoffs at the BLAST studio in Malta, as six teams compete for the title and a share of its $1m (~£730,795) prize pool.
The single-elimination bracket features Team Falcons vs Team Liquid and Team Yandex vs Heroic in the quarter-finals. The top two teams from the group stage, OG and NAVI, directly qualified for the semi-finals.
BLAST Open Rotterdam, on the other hand, is set to take place from March 18th to 29th, with 18 teams competing. The Playoffs stage will take place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to determine which team will walk away with a lion’s share of the $400,000 (~£292,300) prize pool.
