The excitement for the Counter Strike 2 Major tournament is growing, and BLAST has just revealed the list of 16 teams invited to participate in this highly anticipated event. Taking place in 2025, the Austin BLAST Major will be the first Major for Counter Strike 2, and it’s set to bring together the best teams in the world. These 16 invited teams will bypass the Closed Qualifiers, ensuring a spot in the competition scheduled for July.
Invited Teams for Stage 2
The following teams have secured their place in Stage 2 of the Austin BLAST Major:
Falcons
FaZe Clan
3DMAX
Virtus Pro
Pain Gaming
FURIA
MIBR
M80
Invited Teams for Stage 3
The following teams have been invited to Stage 3 of the Austin BLAST Major:
Team Vitality
MOUZ
Team Spirit
Aurora
Natus Vincere
G2 Esports
Team Liquid
The MongolZ
Source: BLAST
Teams from Stage 1
While the Stage 2 and Stage 3 invitations are confirmed, the remaining 16 teams will be determined through the Closed Qualifiers. These teams will have to battle through the qualifiers to secure their spot in the Austin BLAST Major. The Closed Qualifiers will take place from April 14th to 17th across several regions:
6 slots for Europe
Source: BLAST
3 slots for North America
3 slots for South America
Source: BLAST
1 slot for Mongolia and East Asia
2 slots for China
1 slot for Oceania and SEA
Source: BLAST
Format of the Austin Major
This year, the Austin BLAST Major will have a larger format. Valve has decided to increase the number of teams from 24 to 32. As a result, a new Swiss Stage has been added, which will include the 16 teams coming from the Closed Qualifiers. This first stage, Stage 1, will see these teams compete in a traditional Swiss format.
The top 8 teams from Stage 1 will advance to Stage 2, where the format will repeat. The best 8 teams from Stage 2 will then move on to Stage 3, which will feature the final battle to determine the champion. In the final stages, the remaining 16 teams will play the Swiss Phase, with the best 8 teams making it to the Playoffs.
The Playoffs will be a single-elimination bracket, culminating in a Best-of-5 (BO5) series for the Grand Final.