Another year of exhilarating Counter-Strike 2 action is finally upon us, with BLAST Bounty Season 1 kicking off the season on January 13th.
The vast majority of the best CS2 teams will be in attendance, so fans will get to see their favorite players in action right away, including reimagined rosters of Team Spirit, Auroa, and many more.
Here’s our BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 preview.
In 2026, the BLAST Bounty format is virtually the same as it was last year, with lower-seeded teams getting to pick their opponents. The BLAST Bounty format works in a way that each game has an impact on the prize pool distribution.
There are no groups for the beginning online portion of the tournament, with each match being a best-of-three game. All the games are single elimination, so once a team loses, they are out.
After the two online rounds of games are complete, the eight remaining teams advance to the LAN Finals in Malta. The format doesn’t change, bar the Grand Final being a BO5.
The online group stage portion of BLAST Bounty Season 1 will take place from January 13th to January 18th. Then, after a few days’ break, the LAN Finals will commence from January 22nd to January 25th.
Teams picked their opponents during the Draft. Credit: © BLAST Premier
Many of the top CS2 teams will make their 2026 debut at BLAST Bounty Season 1, with a total of 32 teams in attendance.
Some teams have undergone major overhauls during the winter break, either bringing in new talent or reshuffling former players.
With such a wide array of teams and interesting matchups at BLASt Bounty, it could be a timely opportunity to get into CS2 betting.
Here’s the complete list of all participants within their opening matchups:
Train is out after only a year in the map pool. Credit: © Valve
Another reason why fans should tune into BLAST Bounty Season 1 is the refreshed map pool. Earlier this month, it was announced that Anubis will replace Train in the competitive map pool, returning after only six months on the sidelines.
Some of the lower-ranked teams could pick into the map to surprise their opponents and claim precious bounties. On the other hand, some top teams, like Aurora or Liquid, could make Anubis their home map after having success on it in the past.
One thing is for sure: this event is a must-watch for the return of Anubis alone.
Feature image credit: © Valve
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