CS2 fans will get to witness top-tier LAN CS2 action for the first time in 2026 shortly, with the BLAST Bounty Season 1 Finals just around the corner.
Eight teams will battle it out in a single elimination bracket, hoping to get their hands on their maiden trophy this year.
Here’s our BLAST Bounty Season 1 Finals preview.
Playoff pairings will be determined during the draft show. Credit: BLAST Premier
The LAN portion of the event will take place in BLAST’s studio in Malta from January 22nd to January 25th. Quarter-finals will take place on Thursday and Friday, semis on Saturday, and the Grand Final on Sunday.
Each match will be a best-of-three game, except the Grand Final, which will be a BO5 as we’ve gotten used to over the past year. All the games are single elimination, so once you lose, you are out.
BLAST Bounty events don’t follow a regular bracket structure, as lower-seeded teams get to pick their own opponents through a draft system. The draft determining this tournament’s quarter-final matchups is set to take place on January 21st.
Semi-final pairings will be assigned in the same way.
Juicy bounties are up for grabs in the playoffs. Credit: BLAST Premier
Eight teams made it through the BLAST Bounty Season 1 online stage, which wasn’t without surprises and eventful moments. Not all the favorites managed to make it through.
That being said, the field at LAN Finals will be fresh and exciting, with a mix of elite teams and new up-and-comers hoping to break through into the best CS2 teams conversation.
Here are all the attending teams:
Can magixx lead Spirit to another Bounty trophy? Credit: Stephanie Lindgren | © BLAST
Despite each team in attendance having played only two games in 2026, interesting notions and storylines are already brewing. One of the main talking points is, of course, Spirit.
Spirit’s maiden showing with their new roster has gone swimmingly thus far, with the IEM Cologne 2025 Champions waltzing through the online stage without any issues. Let’s see if Boris “magixx” Vorobiev continues to impress in his IGLing debut.
Falcons looked really good in their opening games, but unfortunately, they won’t be at full strength in Malta. Both the coach, Danny “zonic” Sorensen, and star rifler Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin can’t make it to the event.
As for the underdogs, PARIVISION were definitely the most impressive of the four, with new addition Ivan “zweih” Gogin leading the way on the server. You certainly can not count them out in any matchup.
Feature image credit: © StarLadder
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