BLAST Premier is a huge CSGO esports league, first launched back in 2020, and in July 2023 we’re going to see the latest edition of the Fall season of the tournament.
This is no small fry tournament, it has a prize fund of over $150,000 and the series will be fiercely contested among the world’s greatest CSGO players. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the biggest games in the world, with an average of over one million players online at any given time, and the BLAST Premier is the very elite players around the world up against one another.
Why are the groupings so important? Well, before we delve into the groups themselves, it helps to understand why they matter so much. According to Business Research Insights, the esports gambling market will be worth USD 24,190 million in 2028, and a lot of this growth comes from CSGO and the other huge games on the market. For those who are looking to bet on BLAST Premier and other CSGO matches, By checking the groups, gamblers can get a potential insight into what they think is going to happen. For instance, who is likely to reach the next round? Which team is up against the toughest opposition?
The groups can also let people know which fixtures take place at which times, and give gamblers the chance to bet on the individual matches from the group stage of the tournament before it moves into its later stages. The top esports gambling companies offer a variety of different markets, meaning that each of the group matches will be an option for gamblers who think they can predict the outcomes and study the form, strengths, and weaknesses of the teams.
The Groups
The groups in BLAST Premier are split into three sets of four teams.
Group A:
- Vitality
- Evil Geniuses
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- Complexity
Group A sees the current Major Champions, Vitality. They have a new addition in the form of FlameZ (Shahar Sushan) and people will be eager to see if they can retain their title. The group also sees Complexity, Evil Geniuses, and Ninjas in Pyjamas, in what will be a formidable set of matches.
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Group B:
- Heroic
- Natus Vincere
- Astralis
- BIG
Group B sees the two teams from the host nation, Astralis as well as Heroic, who won the spring tournament. There are other teams from Europe in the group including Natus Vincere, who will have a new roster to try out, which includes young prospect “mantuu”. BIG will complete the lineup for this group.
Group C:
- FaZe
- G2
- Liquid
- OG
Group C also has some serious contenders including FaZE and G2. These are tried-and-tested teams with a good track record. The new European Liquid team will be in this group along with OG, a team that will have a totally new squad, nobody knows what to expect from them.
Fixtures and Format
Whether somebody is looking to gamble on the outcome of the CSGO tournament or they are just likely to be watching keenly, it helps to understand the format and how the fixtures will play out. The first fixtures from the tournament have been released with the regional semi-finals being the first of the matchups.
13th July:
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14:00
Vitality vs. Evil Geniuses
17:30
Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Complexity
14th July:
11:00
Heroic vs. BIG
14:00
Natus Vincere vs. Astralis
17:30
FaZe vs. OG
15th July:
11.00
G2 vs. Liquid
The rest of the fixtures are determined by the outcome of these matches, and the Fall Finals don’t take place until November, meaning an anxious wait for some of the teams to prepare to try and take first place.
During the group stage, there are three double-elimination format groups, all of which have four teams. The winner from the group will make it to the CSGO Fall Final, which is where all of the teams want to be, of course. However, all is not lost for those who don’t make it as the remaining teams play in the seeded “Play-In Stage”. This has three single-elimination gauntlets, and the willers of these can still make it to the Fall Final, while the remaining teams will drop into the Fall Showdowns.
Prizes
The Prizes are distributed as follows, with the main prizes being reserved for the teams that make it to the Fall Final. There are still some prizes that are given out in the Fall Showdown, too.
1-3rd
$27,500
Fall Final
4-6th
$17,500
Fall Final
7-9th
$8,500
Fall Showdown
10-12th
$5,666
Fall Showdown
Conclusion
The BLAST Premier is a tournament that has continued to grow since it launched in 2020 and will be keenly watched by many of the millions of CSGO fans. A lot of the teams that are taking part in the BLAST Premier Fall tournament have much-changed lineups that will help to keep things very interesting. Excited viewers will be ready to watch these twelve teams go head-to-head in Copenhagen to try to reach the next stage of the tournament.
