All BLAST Slam Tournaments Now Open to Spectators

BLAST tournament organizers have announced significant changes to the format of their events. From now on, all BLAST Slam series championships will take place in front of a live audience at an arena, and the participation of teams and the selection structure will be noticeably altered.

Each tournament will now feature 12 teams. Six of these will receive direct invites, while another spot will go to a representative from the region where the tournament is held. The unique aspect of this new feature is that the host team will be chosen by the fans.

The remaining five slots will be filled by participants who qualify through regional qualifiers—something that was not part of the previous BLAST format. Europe will receive two slots, while China , Southeast Asia, and America will each get one. However, it's not yet clear whether Europe will be divided into Western and Eastern zones.

The tournament will kick off online with a group stage conducted in a Bo1 format. The two strongest teams will advance directly to the semifinals, six teams will move on to the LAN stage, and the remaining four will get a chance in the Last Chance round—a battle for the final playoff spot.

The LAN stage of the tournament will be held live with spectators, which should add even more atmosphere and excitement to the show.