Tournament formats in Counter-Strike esports rarely change, with several event organisers often opting for a Swiss Stage followed by a Playoff to determine the eventual champion.
However, in January 2025, BLAST tweaked the system slightly, launching its Bounty event that saw the world’s best teams each have a monetary bounty instead of prize money distributed based on placement.
Ahead of BLAST Bounty Season 1 2026, Esports Insider takes a closer look at the event’s format with fresh insight from the tournament organiser.
BLAST Bounty Season 1 2026 Format
The $500,000 (~£371,480) prize pool up for grabs is split among the top 16 teams from the Valve Regional Standings (VRS).