BLAST Open Porto 2026 kicks off with $1.1M prize pool and 16 CS2 teams ready to compete

Sixteen of the world’s top Counter-Strike 2 teams are descending on two cities across two continents for BLAST Open Porto 2026, a tournament running from August 26 through September 6 with $1.1 million on the line. The group stage is already rolling at BLAST Studios in Copenhagen, and the whole thing culminates with playoffs at Porto’s Super Bock Arena. First place takes home $150K, which sounds modest until you remember these players also get to spend a week competing in one of Portugal’s most photogenic coastal cities. Not a bad gig. How the tournament works The format splits neatly into two phases. Groups play out in a double-elimination bracket, meaning every team gets at least two chances before heading home. All group stage matches are best-of-3, giving squads enough maps to adjust mid-series rather than getting bounced on one bad half. Once the field narrows, the action moves from Copenhagen to Porto for single-elimination playoffs. The grand final stretches to a best-of-5. Opening matchups were revealed on August 17, giving teams roughly a week to prepare their initial strategies. Among the most anticipated first-round clashes is a Brazilian derby between FURIA and paiN. Th...