The schedule and round of 16 for the 2026 BLAST Rotterdam Open have been revealed.

The highly anticipated 2026 BLAST Open Rotterdam tournament, which has garnered significant attention from Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) players worldwide, is about to officially begin.

As one of the core events in this year's CS2 professional tournament calendar, this open tournament brings together 16 top esports teams from around the world. They will compete fiercely in offline arenas to vie for the ultimate championship title and crucial tournament ranking points.

The BLAST Rotterdam Open has a tight and suspenseful schedule, divided into two stages: the group stage and the knockout stage.

In the group stage (March 18 to March 23, 2026), the 16 participating teams will be divided into two groups of 8 teams each. The competition will use a double-elimination format consisting of a winners' bracket and a losers' bracket, with all matches being best-of-three games.

After the group stage, the top three teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. The group winner will automatically qualify for the semifinals. The second-place team from each group will be seeded higher and enter the quarterfinals, while the third-place team will be seeded lower and qualify for the quarterfinals.

In the knockout stage (March 27-29, 2026), the elite teams that advance will compete in a brutal single-elimination tournament, where any loss will directly lead to the team's elimination.

The quarterfinals and semifinals of the knockout stage will continue to use the best-of-three format, while the final to determine the ultimate champion will be upgraded to a best-of-five format that will be more challenging in terms of physical strength and tactics.

Qualifying spots are determined by invitation based on Valve's official rankings and the outstanding performances of each team in past tournaments. The complete list of 16 teams participating in the 2026 BLAST Rotterdam Open is as follows:

Team Vitality

·Natus Vincere (NAVI)

FaZe Clan

Team Spirit

MOUZ

Team Falcons

·PARIVISION

·FURIA

Aurora Gaming

The MongolZ

Team Liquid

·Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP)

·B8

·NRG

·9z Team

·TYLOO

Image source: Internet