BLAST Open Porto 2026 starts on August 26 and runs through September 6, bringing 16 CS2 teams together for a total $1.1 million payout.
There is one important detail that is easy to miss. The whole tournament is not actually played in Porto.
The group stage starts at the BLAST Studios in Copenhagen, where the field will be cut from 16 teams to six. Those six teams then travel to the Super Bock Arena in Porto, Portugal, for the live playoffs from September 4 to 6.
It also starts just three days after the EWC 2026 Grand Final, making Porto the next major stop on a very busy CS2 calendar. You can follow the current event in our Counter Strike 2 at EWC 26 guide or see what comes next in our CS2 tournament schedule for 2026.
BLAST Open Porto 2026 Schedule
Here is the schedule confirmed so far:
| Stage | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | Starts August 26, 2026 | BLAST Studios, Copenhagen |
| Arena Playoffs | September 4 to 6, 2026 | Super Bock Arena, Porto |
| Grand Final | September 6, 2026 | Porto, Portugal |
One thing worth clearing up is the start date.
Some older announcements and tournament pages originally listed August 24. BLAST’s current official tournament page now lists the event as August 26 to September 6, so August 26 is the date we are using.
The actual Group A and Group B opening matchups have not been finalized publicly yet. BLAST’s current match page still shows the group matches as TBD. We will update this page as soon as the draw and individual match times are confirmed.
BLAST Open Porto 2026 Teams
The current 16 team field is:
| Team | Region |
|---|---|
| Spirit | Europe |
| Falcons | Europe |
| Vitality | Europe |
| Natus Vincere | Europe |
| MOUZ | Europe |
| Aurora | Europe |
| G2 | Europe |
| FUT Esports | Europe |
| Inner Circle | Europe |
| FURIA | Americas |
| Legacy | Americas |
| 9z | Americas |
| paiN | Americas |
| M80 | Americas |
| DENDELE | Americas |
| Lynn Vision | Asia |
This list is slightly different from the one BLAST originally announced in July.
BetBoom withdrew because of visa issues and paiN took their place as the highest seeded runner up from the closed qualifiers. Sharks are also now listed as DENDELE after the Sharks CS roster began competing under the DENDELE name following a partnership between the organizations.
Those changes matter because a lot of early BLAST Open Porto previews still show the old field.
The current official BLAST event page lists Spirit, Falcons, Vitality, NAVI, FURIA, MOUZ, Legacy, Aurora, G2, paiN, FUT, 9z, Inner Circle, M80, DENDELE and Lynn Vision.
How Does the BLAST Open Porto Format Work?
The format is pretty unforgiving once you get past the groups.
The 16 teams are divided into two groups of eight. Each group uses a double elimination bracket and the matches are played as best of three series.
Only three teams from each group advance.
The Group A and Group B winners go directly into the playoff semifinals, which is a huge advantage. The teams finishing second and third enter the quarterfinals instead.
That leaves six teams for Porto.
From there, the tournament becomes single elimination. The quarterfinals and semifinals are best of three, while the BLAST Open Porto Grand Final is best of five.
There is no lower bracket waiting for you once the arena stage starts. One bad series and the tournament is over.
Fans who followed BLAST Summer 2026 will notice the Open format feels very different from the Bounty system used earlier this summer.
BLAST Open Porto 2026 Prize Pool
BLAST lists a total payout of $1.1 million for Open Porto.
That money is split between $400,000 in player prize money and $700,000 in club payments. The tournament winner receives $150,000 from the player prize pool, plus a $100,000 club share.
The player prize distribution starts like this:
| Placement | Player Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $150,000 |
| 2nd | $60,000 |
| 3rd to 4th | $40,000 each |
| 5th to 6th | $20,000 each |
| 7th to 8th | $10,000 each |
| 9th to 12th | $7,500 each |
| 13th to 16th | $5,000 each |
The money is significant, but the field is what makes Porto interesting. Several of the teams here have already won or reached finals at major events in 2026.
BLAST Open Porto 2026 Predictions
Predicting Porto before EWC finishes is tricky because most of the favorites are still playing in Paris.
So these are our picks as of August 17, based on the current rosters, recent LAN results and form going into the final week before Porto.
Favorite to Win: Falcons
Our early pick is Falcons.
They won the IEM Cologne Major 2026, and their current roster brings together m0NESY, NiKo, kyousuke, karrigan and TeSeS. BLAST currently has Falcons second in the Global Valve Rankings behind Spirit.
They have also started EWC well, reaching the playoffs without dropping a series.
The combination of m0NESY’s AWPing, NiKo’s rifle impact and kyousuke’s firepower gives Falcons one of the highest individual ceilings in Porto.
Their Cologne win was not a small result either. You can look back at the tournament in our IEM Cologne Major coverage and our earlier IEM Cologne Major predictions.
Prediction: Falcons win BLAST Open Porto 2026.
Biggest Threat: Spirit
You cannot seriously predict this tournament without Spirit near the top.
Spirit are currently first in BLAST’s Global Valve Rankings and still have donk and sh1ro as their two biggest individual threats.
They also won PGL Astana 2026, where donk took the MVP.
There are some warning signs, though.
Spirit lost the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Grand Final 3 to 1 against MOUZ, then started EWC with an upset loss to JiJieHao and needed three maps to get past BIG.
Their ceiling is championship level. Their current consistency is the question.
Best Form Pick: MOUZ
MOUZ might be the team people underestimate.
They just won BLAST Bounty Season 2 after beating Spirit 3 to 1 in the final. They went 5 and 0 through that tournament and are currently third in BLAST’s Global Valve Rankings.
That is a much better reason to back them than simply looking at their name or historical ranking.
If MOUZ carry that confidence through EWC and into Copenhagen, they have a real chance to win Porto.
Dark Horse: FURIA
FURIA are our dark horse.
They reached the Cologne Major final earlier this summer and have already secured another playoff appearance at EWC. They may not have the same overall firepower as Falcons or Spirit, but they have shown repeatedly this year that they can survive deep into elite tournaments.
FURIA are also exactly the type of team that becomes dangerous if the group draw gives them a favorable route.
Our Six Teams to Reach the Porto Playoffs
Before the groups are drawn, our six picks are:
- Falcons
- Spirit
- MOUZ
- Vitality
- FURIA
- NAVI
Vitality deserve particular attention because they are the defending BLAST Open champions, having won BLAST Open Rotterdam earlier in 2026.
They also still have ZywOo, who sits at the top of our current Top CS2 Players of 2026 ranking.
This prediction can change once BLAST reveals the groups. Two title contenders landing in the same difficult bracket can completely change who has the cleanest road to Porto.
What Is the BLAST Open Porto 2026 Map Pool?
There is an interesting conflict here.
HLTV currently lists Cache, Dust2, Mirage, Inferno, Nuke, Ancient and Anubis for the event.
However, BLAST’s own tournament page currently says the active map pool has not been published yet.
Because BLAST is the tournament organizer, we are treating the map pool as not officially confirmed yet rather than presenting the HLTV list as final.
We will update this section once BLAST confirms it.
How to Watch BLAST Open Porto 2026
BLAST Open Porto will be streamed through BLAST’s official channels on Twitch, YouTube, TikTok and Kick.
The group stage begins August 26 from BLAST Studios in Copenhagen.
The six surviving teams then head to the Super Bock Arena in Porto for the live playoffs from September 4 to September 6.
Tickets for the Porto arena stage are also currently available through BLAST.
FAQ
BLAST Open Porto 2026 starts on August 26, 2026. The tournament ends with the Grand Final on September 6.
The group stage takes place at BLAST Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The six qualifying teams then travel to the Super Bock Arena in Porto, Portugal for the playoffs.
There are 16 teams competing. Only six advance from the group stage to the arena playoffs in Porto.
BLAST is distributing $1.1 million between player prize money and club payments.
Our current pick is Falcons, with Spirit and MOUZ right behind them. That prediction will be updated once EWC finishes and the BLAST Open Porto group draw is confirmed.
Final Prediction
Falcons are our early pick to win BLAST Open Porto 2026.
Spirit have the number one ranking, MOUZ arrive with a fresh BLAST trophy and Vitality are defending Open champions, so there is no obvious easy winner.
That is what makes Porto worth following.
The biggest missing piece is the group draw. Once BLAST confirms Group A, Group B and the opening matches, we will update this guide with the full BLAST Open Porto schedule, match predictions and playoff paths.
Until then, Falcons are the team we trust most to leave Portugal with the trophy.
