BLAST Bounty Draw: What are the Closed Qualifier opening matches?

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 12/01/2026

The first matches of BLAST Bounty have been drawn, with lower-ranked teams selecting their higher-ranked opponents before the Closed Qualifier tournament begins on January 13th. 

How will the Bounty format work, and what are the tournament’s opening matches?

How does BLAST Bounty work?

BLAST Bounty has a unique format that encourages lower-ranked teams to take on Counter-Strike’s most dominant rosters. 

The competition begins with an online Closed Qualifier. The top eight teams from the Closed Qualifier proceed to the BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 (BLAST Bounty Season 1) LAN tournament in Malta. 

Bounty’s Closed Qualifier splits teams into two primary groups by seeding: “Most Wanted” and “Bounty Hunters.” The “Most Wanted” teams have a bounty value assigned to them based on their seeding, while the “Bounty Hunters” begin the tournament with a value of $0.

All of the BLAST Bounty S1 teams were confirmed in December, according to the December 1st VRS Global Standings. 

“Bounty Hunters” select “Most Wanted” teams to compete against. These selections are broadcast live in the BLAST Bounty draft.

If they win against their selected “Most Wanted” team, they bank 50% of that team’s bounty as prize money, with the remaining 50% becoming their own bounty value. 

As the tournament progresses, teams continue to trade money based on wins and losses, giving lower-ranked teams the opportunity to earn a healthy prize pool, on the condition that they can beat their higher-ranked counterparts.

While the first round begins with all 32 teams, the second round will feature only 16, with the losers immediately cut loose in a Single-Elimination Bracket. After the second round, the top eight teams advance to the BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Malta LAN.

All games are best-of-three, except for the Grand Final in the main BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 LAN tournament, which is a best-of-five.

Which teams are competing in 2026’s opening matches?

Following the conclusion of BLAST Bounty’s first draft, the following teams will compete against one another in the tournament’s opening matches:

• FURIA (Most Wanted) vs 9INE (Bounty Hunter)
• Team Falcons (Most Wanted) vs ECSTATIC (Bounty Hunter)
• Team Vitality (Most Wanted) vs Virtus.pro (Bounty Hunter)
• Aurora Gaming (Most Wanted) vs HOTU (Bounty Hunter)
• Team Spirit (Most Wanted) vs SINNERS Esports (Bounty Hunter)
• Team Liquid (Most Wanted) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (Bounty Hunter)
• Natus Vincere (Most Wanted) vs Monte (Bounty Hunter)
• Astralis (Most Wanted) vs Fnatic (Bounty Hunter)
• HEROIC (Most Wanted) vs NRG (Bounty Hunter)
• 3DMAX (Most Wanted) vs Inner Circle Esports (Bounty Hunter)
• paiN Gaming (Most Wanted) vs BetBoom Team (Bounty Hunter)
• FaZe Clan (Most Wanted) vs EYEBALLERS (Bounty Hunter) 
• PARIVISION (Most Wanted) vs ENCE (Bounty Hunter)
• Gentle Mates (Most Wanted) vs M80 (Bounty Hunter) 
• GamerLegion (Most Wanted) vs Passion UA (Bounty Hunter)
• FUT Esports (Most Wanted) vs OG (Bounty Hunter)

The competition schedule for opening matches will be as follows:

Tuesday, January 13th:

• FUT Esports vs OG (11:00 GMT) 
• FaZe Clan vs EYEBALLERS (13:30 GMT)
• Astralis vs Fnatic (16:00 GMT)
• Aurora Gaming vs HOTU (18:30 GMT)

Wednesday, January 14th: 

• GamerLegion vs Passion UA (11:00 GMT) 
• HEROIC vs NRG (13:30 GMT)
• Natus Vincere vs Monte (16:00 GMT) 
• Team Vitality vs Virtus.pro (18:30 GMT)

Thursday, January 15th: 

• Gentle Mates vs M80 (11:00 GMT) 
• 3DMAX vs Inner Circle Esports (13:30 GMT)
• Team Liquid vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (16:00 GMT)
• Team Falcons vs ECSTATIC (18:00 GMT)

Friday, January 16th: 

• PARIVISION vs ENCE (10:00 GMT) 
• Team Spirit vs SINNERS Esports (12:30 GMT) 
• paiN Gaming vs BetBoom Team (15:00 GMT)
• FURIA vs 9INE (17:30 GMT)

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Hannah is a journalist 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, Apex Legends, and advocating for women's esports initiatives. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ALGS LANs, ESI London, EGX, and watch parties.

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