Global tournament organizer BLAST announced details on the BLAST Premier Open Rotterdam, a ranked Counter-Strike 2 tournament set to take place at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from March 27 – 29, 2026. BLAST hopes that this new three-day tournament on the Counter-Strike 2 2026 competitive calendar will bring thousands of fans to Rotterdam and millions more tuning in to watch.
BLAST said in its announcement that the competition will feature two weeks of action with the top 16 Counter-Strike 2 from around the world battling for a share of $1.1 million USD total prize pool—split into $400,000 for prize money and $700,000 in team payments. The final three days will feature the top six teams on the main stage in the Netherlands; twelve teams will receive direct invites based on VRS (Valve Regional Standings), while the remaining four teams will be able to make it into the competition through open qualifiers.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring the BLAST Premier Open to Rotterdam, taking BLAST to a brand-new country,” said Andrew Haworth, SVP of Ecosystems at BLAST. “The Netherlands has a passionate esports fanbase, and the Ahoy Arena is the perfect stage to host the next chapter of BLAST. Fans can expect world-class Counter-Strike, unforgettable moments, and the signature BLAST production quality they have come to know.”
BLAST also said that the tournament will be broadcast to more than 100 territories and in 30+ official languages. Finally, the organizer said that it is working with Friendly Fire (the Netherlands arm of international event organizer FKP Scorpio) to help promote the event in the country.
Tickets will go on sale in October: Presale tickets will be available on Oct. 23, at 10AM BST // 11AM CEST; with regular ticket sales opening on Oct. 24, at 10AM BST // 11AM CEST.
More details about the event can be found at www.blastpremier.nl.