International esports tournament organizer BLAST announced this week that it has opened up the “Request for Proposals” (RFP) process for cities interested in hosting its major esports events in 2026 and 2027. Those governments interested in hosting major Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Fortnite, Rocket League, and Rainbow Six Siege esports competitions can find more information about beginning the process here.
BLAST said in its announcement that its major competitions increase tourism substantially (85% of event attendees travel from outside the host city) and generate “up to $100M in economic impact per event,” as well as 175M views online through streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube.
“Esports is one of the fastest-growing entertainment industries in the world, and BLAST has a proven record of delivering award-winning arena events that captivate millions of fans online and thousands in person,” said BLAST Director of Market Development James Woollard. “Our goal is to partner with destinations in a long-term and meaningful way, and to drive tangible financial, political, social and destination marketing benefits for our host markets. We also want to bring esports closer to more fanbases across the globe, reaching new regions and allowing more fans than ever to watch and enjoy live BLAST events. Our repeat events and return to host destinations shows that we are delivering real value and meaningful impacts for cities, leading to strategic, multi-year deals.”
BLAST plans to host 20 live arena events in 2026, and up to 25 live events in 2027.