Blast Bounty Winter 2026 Finals: Teams, Format, Schedule, and More

BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 kicked off with its play-in stage on January 13, featuring 32 top-ranked teams. After six days of intense competition, eight teams have qualified for the LAN Finals, set to begin on January 22. 

The eight qualified teams will fly to Malta to compete for their share of a $1.15 million prize pool and Frequent Flyer tokens. Here’s more on the BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Finals, including the participating teams, schedule, livestream details, and more.

Teams

The eight teams competing in the BLAST Bounty Winter Finals were selected through an online play-in stage, where 32 teams faced off in a single-elimination bracket. The top eight teams from the qualifiers then advanced to the main event. 

While all teams will retain their play-in stage rosters, Team Falcons will make a small change. Academy player NucleonZ will join the team as a stand-in, replacing kyousuke, who faces “unresolved visa complications,” as per the team’s official press release. 

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Format

After qualifying from the play-ins, the eight teams will be re-seeded based on the opponent they defeated in the previous round. The lower-seeded teams will then choose their opponent from among the higher-seeded teams.

The BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 playoff stage will pit the eight qualified teams in a single-elimination bracket. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be held as best-of-threes (Bo3), while the Grand Final will be a best-of-five (Bo5) series.

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Schedule

The matchups will be decided during the live Draft Show, scheduled for January 21 at 8 pm CET.

Thursday, January 22

• Quarter-final 1 - 7 am PST / 4 pm CET
• Quarter-final 2 - 10 am PST / 7 pm CET

Friday, January 23

• Quarter-final 3 - 7 am PST / 4 pm CET
• Quarter-final 4 - 10 am PST / 7 pm CET

Saturday, January 24

• Semi-final 1 - 7 am PST / 4 pm CET
• Semi-final 2 - 10 am PST / 7 pm CET

Sunday, January 25

• Grand Final - 7 am PST / 4 pm CET

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Prize Pool

BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 features a total prize pool of $1,150,000, distributed as $650,000 in club rewards and $500,000 in prize money. The $650,000 club reward will be distributed as follows: 

• 1st - 8th: $40,000 per team
• 9th - 16th: $26,250 per team
• 17th - 32nd: $7,500 per team

Furthermore, replacing the traditional prize distribution format, the BLAST Bounty tournament series offers teams the chance to secure “bounties” from other teams by winning matches. The $500,000 prize pool is initially split among the teams as a bounty amount based on their seeding. After each match, the winning team acquires their opponent’s bounty, of which they can redeem half as a guaranteed payout and carry forward the remaining half to the next match as part of their bounty.

For those unaware, Frequent Flyer Program tokens are points allocated to teams based on their participation and performance in BLAST’s tournament circuit. At the end of the season, teams can earn their share of a $2 million prize pool based on the points they’ve accumulated.

Teams earn tokens for participating in events:

• 4 tournaments: 1 token
• 5 tournaments: 2 tokens
• 6 tournaments: 4 tokens

Additional tokens are awarded for performance:

• Reaching the second week of the Bounty or Open: 1 token

• Winning Bounty, Open, or Rivals: 2 tokens

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Venue

All four days of the BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 playoffs will be played on LAN at the BLAST Arena Studios in Attard, Malta. Unlike the play-ins, this stage of the tournament will be open to a live audience. 

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Where to Purchase Tickets for BLAST Bounty Winter 2026

Tickets for the Bounty Winter 2026 playoffs are live on BLAST’s website. Purchase options include one-day passes as well as a four-day pass, with the former starting at €10.80. Here are all the ticketing options: 

• Thursday, January 22 - €10.80
• Friday, January 23 - €10.80
• Saturday, January 24 - €10.80
• Sunday, January 25 - €16.20
• Weekend [Thursday-Sunday] - €32.40

At the time of writing, however, one-day tickets for Sunday (January 25) and the weekend pass are sold out.

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Where to watch BLAST Bounty Winter 2026

The BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Finals will be broadcast live on YouTube and Twitch. Alternate streaming options include a Vietnamese broadcast on Twitch. Follow the action on the Strafe Esports tournament page as the tournament unfolds.

Follow Strafe Esports for the latest Counter-Strike 2 news and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's channel on YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured Image Credit: BLAST Premier

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