Esports event organizer BLAST has confirmed that its BLAST Bounty Counter-Strike 2 competition will be held again in Malta during 2027.
Slated for January 11th through 24th, this premier-level competition will introduce an updated structure, replacing the online segment with a greater number of physical, on-site matches.
An Updated Structure
Instead of 32 teams commencing the tournament in a single-elimination bracket, 16 teams will compete entirely in person. Twelve teams will receive direct invites via the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), with the remaining four positions determined by regional qualification rounds across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
For BLAST Bounty 2027, the VRS from November 2026 will be instrumental in identifying the teams invited to the Primary Event and the Restricted Qualifiers. Four teams progressing from the online regional Open Qualifiers will secure their places in the Restricted Qualifiers.
The on-site tournament will commence with a Play-In phase, where the 16 teams are divided into four equally sized groups. Teams winning their groups will advance to the Quarter-finals and receive a $30,000 (~£22,462) bonus, while the second and third-placed teams will proceed to a Last-chance Qualifier.
Teams concluding the Group Stage in fourth position will be eliminated, earning $5,000 (~£3,742) in prize money along with a $10,000 (~£7,484) team participation fee.
Malta represents the second location confirmed for BLAST’s 2027 Counter-Strike season. In October 2027, the organizing body is set to host a Tier 1 event in Rio de Janeiro.
Revamped Last Chance Qualifier
The eight teams that avoided initial elimination during the Group Stage will compete in the LCQ for the final four Playoffs slots, with each team assigned a bounty value based on their Group Stage standings. Teams placed second will carry a $25,000 (~£18,710) bounty, whereas teams in third place will have a $15,000 (~£11,226) bounty.
Teams failing to progress to the Playoffs will depart with $10,000 (~£7,484) in prize money and a $25,000 (~£18,710) team stipend. Meanwhile, the victorious teams will join the Play-In winners in the Playoffs.
Participation Payments
BLAST Bounty 2027 will mark the inaugural event where BLAST extends participation fees to teams competing in its competitions. A total of $400,000 (~£299,394) will be allocated among teams based on their VRS rankings throughout the event.
The participation fees allocated for the participating teams are structured as follows:
- Rank 1-4: $60,000 (~£44,802)
- Rank 5-8: $30,000 (~£22,462)
- Rank 9-16: $5,000 (~£3,742)
Overall, BLAST Bounty 2027 will boast a total prize pool of $1.25m (~£933,466), encompassing bounties, participation fees, and team stipends.
This article discusses the return of BLAST Bounty to Malta in 2027.
