By Rob | Last checked: November 10, 2026
BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2026 takes place from November 11 to 15, bringing 8 Counter-Strike 2 teams together for a $1 million prize pool. The playoffs run from November 13 to 15 at AsiaWorld-Arena, with FURIA returning to defend their Hong Kong title.
The opening round matters immediately. Win your first series and you are guaranteed a playoff place. Win the group and you skip the quarterfinals entirely. Here are the teams, viewing times and format details to know before the first match.
BLAST Rivals Hong Kong 2026 Schedule
The tournament spans 5 days, starting with the groups and finishing with a best-of-five grand final.
| Stage | Hong Kong dates | Series format |
|---|---|---|
| Group stage | November 11 and 12 | Best-of-three |
| Quarterfinals | November 13 | Best-of-three |
| Semifinals | November 14 | Best-of-three |
| Grand final | November 15 | Best-of-five |
The arena portion begins with the quarterfinals on November 13. Those are the first matches in front of the playoff crowd, rather than the beginning of the tournament itself.
Teams, Groups and Opening Matches
Group A contains Legacy, FURIA, Vitality and Falcons. Group B contains Spirit, FUT Esports, MOUZ and G2.
The table below follows BLAST’s published opening schedule. Hong Kong uses HKT, or UTC+8. Eastern Time is EST, or UTC−5, during the event. All times use the 24-hour clock.
| Group | Opening match | Hong Kong, November 11 | UTC / UK, November 11 | Eastern Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Legacy vs FURIA | 10:00 | 02:00 | November 10, 21:00 |
| A | Vitality vs Falcons | 12:30 | 04:30 | November 10, 23:30 |
| B | Spirit vs FUT Esports | 14:00 | 06:00 | November 11, 01:00 |
| B | MOUZ vs G2 | 16:30 | 08:30 | November 11, 03:30 |
Schedule note: As checked on November 10, HLTV lists the Group B openers and playoff matches 1 hour later than BLAST’s website. This guide follows the organizer’s listing. Check the official broadcast before your match, particularly for those later slots.
For viewers in Toronto or New York, the first 2 matches fall on Tuesday evening, November 10, despite the event’s November 11 opening date in Hong Kong.
How to Watch BLAST Rivals Hong Kong
The official English broadcast is available through:
BLAST links both channels from its tournament page. Use that page to check the current bracket and any schedule changes. Later series can also start behind schedule if an earlier match runs long.
If you are watching after a match finishes, look for the full broadcast replay on the official channels. A complete series gives you the map veto and analyst discussion alongside the rounds themselves.
How the Format Works
Each group has 4 teams, and 3 advance to the playoffs.
The opening winners meet in the group’s winners’ match. The winner of that series goes directly to the semifinals, while the loser enters the quarterfinals.
The opening losers meet in an elimination match. Its winner reaches the quarterfinals; its loser leaves the tournament.
That creates 3 clear routes:
- Win twice: advance directly to the semifinals
- Win once and lose once: advance to the quarterfinals
- Lose twice: finish in 7th or 8th place
The playoffs use single elimination. Quarterfinals and semifinals are best-of-three, followed by a best-of-five final.
For a group winner, the reward is substantial: 2 playoff series wins are enough to take the trophy. A quarterfinalist needs 3.
Opening Matches Worth Watching
MOUZ vs G2: The Beijing Winners Return
MOUZ arrive after winning IEM Beijing 2026, where they beat The MongolZ 3–0 in the final. Hong Kong gives them another opening series just 3 days after lifting that trophy.
Their earlier BLAST Bounty Season 2 victory over Spirit adds context to their season. Against G2, the immediate question is whether they can carry their Beijing level into another tournament with little recovery time.
Legacy vs FURIA: A Brazilian Opener
FURIA won the previous Hong Kong edition by beating Falcons 3–1 in the 2025 final. Their title defence begins against Legacy, with a playoff place available to the winner straight away.
For background on the recent autumn schedule, our PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 guide covers another event featuring both teams.
Spirit vs FUT: Another Meeting After the EWC Final
Spirit and FUT already shared a major final this year. Spirit won their Esports World Cup 2026 meeting 3–1, recovering from a loss on the opening map.
Their Hong Kong encounter has a different stake: the winner immediately avoids the group’s elimination match and can focus on earning the semifinal bye.
Prize Pool: What Does the Winner Receive?
The advertised $1 million total includes $350,000 in player prize money and $650,000 in club payments.
First place receives $250,000 combined, split into $125,000 in player prize money and $125,000 in club share. That distinction explains why a results page showing $125,000 for the champion can still refer to the same tournament.
Is BLAST Rivals a CS2 Major?
No. Hong Kong is the final event of the 2026 BLAST Premier season. The separate PGL Major Singapore 2026 follows later in November.
Rivals offers a useful chance to compare these teams before Singapore, but its own trophy is decided on November 15 through the best-of-five grand final.
