Six of the world's top teams will gather in the Dutch city of Rotterdam to compete in the knockout stage for a total prize of $1.1 million.

Today, tournament organizer BLAST officially announced that Rotterdam will host the knockout stage of the inaugural BLAST Open in 2026. From March 27th to 29th, the Ahoy Exhibition and Convention Center in Rotterdam will open its doors to welcome thousands of spectators to witness the event, which boasts a total prize pool of $1.1 million.

The BLAST Rotterdam Open will begin in Copenhagen, where 16 teams will compete for a spot in the knockout stage. Twelve of these teams will qualify via invitation only (VRS), while the remaining four will be determined through online qualifiers.

This event marks the return of the BLAST Open to an all-in-person format. Previously, the tournament organizers had decided to move the London group stage online, a decision that led the Falcons to skip the event, citing the "smaller impact of VRS compared to the time commitment required."

This will be the first time that BLAST will be held in the Netherlands. Rotterdam's Ahoy Exhibition and Convention Center has previously hosted numerous esports events, including the 2019 League of Legends European Champions (LEC) Spring Finals, the 2019 DreamHack Rotterdam Open, and the 2022 ESL Challenger Series Rotterdam.

"We're thrilled to bring the BLAST Premier Open to Rotterdam and introduce BLAST to a whole new country," said Andrew Haworth, senior vice president of BLAST Ecosystem, in a statement.

The Netherlands has a passionate esports fan base, and Ahoy Arena is the perfect setting for this new chapter for BLAST. Spectators will witness world-class Counter-Strike action, unforgettable competitive moments, and the signature high-quality production quality of BLAST.”