Counter-Strike tournament hosts have announced new BLAST Premier Rivals Hong Kong, planned for November 2025.
The event will be held at AsiaWorld-Arena in collaboration with the Hong Kong Tourism Board. It is the first esports event to receive the prestigious “M” mark designation, awarded to sporting events that significantly enhance Hong Kong’s international image.
What is Premier Rivals?
BLAST Premier Rival will allow eight teams to battle for their slice of a $350,000 USD (~£259,000 GBP) prize pool.
These eight teams are selected through Valve’s regional standings and as regional wildcards.
Participants must go through two double-elimination format Group Stages, where all matches are best-of-three.
The top three teams from each group then advance to the Playoffs. Group leaders advance directly to the Semi-Finals, whereas lower-seeded teams must compete in the Quarter-Finals before progressing further.
Finally, on November 16th, the Rivals champions will be crowned.
Bringing esports back to Hong Kong with international significance
There has been no international-level esports tournament hosted in Hong Kong since 2019. The Chairman and President of the Esports Association of Hong Kong explained that the region now looks to strengthen their position in global esports.
“We hope that through this grand event, we can enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness in the international market, create a vibrant and innovative esports atmosphere, and drive the development of the local esports industry. This will attract more international tournaments and companies to establish a presence in Hong Kong, promote the prosperity of related tourism industries, and elevate Hong Kong’s status in the global esports scene.”
As a result, the Hong Kong Major Sports Events Committee is granting BLAST Premier Rivals the “M” mark.
The “M” mark is a designation that signifies the importance of a major sporting event in enhancing Hong Kong’s international image as a sports and entertainment destination.
BLAST Premier Rivals Hong Kong will be the first esports event to receive this designation.
Which teams are likely to participate in BLAST Premier Rivals Hong Kong?
Four of the eight Premier Rivals teams are selected from Valve’s regional standings. As a result, we can expect rosters like Team Vitality to make an appearance.
Team Vitality is currently on a historic win streak. Most recently, they took the IEM Dallas trophy ahead of the BLAST Austin Major. As a result, they are currently at the top of Valve’s ranking.
However, some teams risk losing their invitation. Team Falcons, although currently ranking well, suffered a humiliating early exit from the BLAST Austin Major. This may damage their chances of travelling to Hong Kong.
Regardless of which teams are in attendance, Premier Rivals is set to be a historic landmark for Hong Kong.
Hannah is a writer specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports and Apex Legends, although it may never surpass her drive to passionately beat her friends in every game of Mariokart. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ESI London, EGX, Discover: Esports and many League of Legends watch parties.
