International tournament organizer BLAST announced Thursday that it will open a new office in New York City that it hopes will give it more direct access to markets, brands, and partners in the United States. The company also recently announced plans to open an office in India.
In its announcement, the company said that in addition to providing better access to brands, the New York City office will serve as its North American hub where it will oversee U.S. esports events—the company has plans for six major events for 2025-2026. In addition, the company will use the location to support expanding its partnerships with U.S.-based content creators.
BLAST Chief Business Officer Leo Matlock will relocate from Copenhagen to New York City to lead the launch and spearhead its strategic growth plans in the region, oversee the development of a team, and work closely with partners in the region, including many stakeholders it already has partnerships such as Epic Games, Valve, and Activision Blizzard.
“We’ve been deeply committed to the growth of esports in the U.S. for six years – hosting some of our most iconic live events here since 2019,” said Matlock in a release. “Establishing a permanent hub here is a natural next step and also a powerful indicator of our long-term investment in the market. We have some incredible live events coming up across North America this year and are excited to continue to advocate this unmatched fandom and to work with national and local partners and brands, creating a positive impact everywhere we are. This move further adds to our global expansion efforts in 2025, with offices opening in India and the U.S. this year.”
Its New York City and India offices join its other locations, including its headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark; London, UK; and Berlin, Germany.
BLAST will host its next event, the Counter-Strike 2 competition BLAST.tv Austin Major, in Austin, Texas, in June.
BLAST is not the only tournament and gaming festivals company to open offices in the U.S.—South Asia-based NODWIN Gaming announced its plans to open an office in the country back in early April.
Having a hub in the United States by these companies could be a response to U.S. policies that are making doing business in the region challenging, as the government’s ever-shifting positions on international trade and tariffs, as well as immigration, are proving to be chaotic to the global economy.