BLAST Rising Circuit 2025: Qualification Format, Schedule, and Path to BLAST Open

BLAST has unveiled the qualification format for its BLAST Rising Circuit 2025, a new competitive structure designed to act as regional qualifiers for the prestigious BLAST Open tournaments. This announcement marks a significant update for CS2 enthusiasts, as the Rising Circuit replaces the older Showdown format with a more structured path for emerging teams worldwide.

Regional Format and Qualification Process

The Rising Circuit spans four key regions—Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. Each region will have two qualifying stages: Open Qualifiers and Closed Qualifiers.

1. Direct Invitations – The top four teams based on Regional Valve Rankings, which are not directly invited to the BLAST Open, will secure automatic spots in the Rising Finals.
2. Closed Qualifiers – The next 12 teams in the rankings join four teams from the Open Qualifiers to form a 16-team pool. These teams are split into groups and compete in best-of-three, double-elimination brackets.
3. Final Stage – The four winners from the Closed Qualifiers join the four directly invited teams to compete in the BLAST Rising Finals.

Schedule for Season One

Here’s the schedule for the first season of the Rising Circuit:

Europe (Relog Media):

• Invitation Date: February 3
• Open Qualifiers: February 4
• Closed Qualifiers: February 5–7
• Finals: February 8–9

North America (Liga Ace):

• Invitation Date: February 3
• Open Qualifiers: February 7
• Closed Qualifiers: February 8–10
• Finals: February 13–14

South America (Liga Ace):

• Invitation Date: February 3
• Open Qualifiers: February 5
• Closed Qualifiers: February 6–8
• Finals: February 9–10

Asia (GGTV):

• Invitation Date: February 3
• Open Qualifiers: February 5
• Closed Qualifiers: February 6–8
• Finals: February 9–10

Path to BLAST Open

The Rising Circuit’s ultimate goal is to identify the best teams from each region and advance them to the BLAST Open, which begins on March 19. These matches promise to showcase rising talent while ensuring fair and transparent selection processes through rigorous qualifiers.