The Blast Pro Series tournaments are organised by RFRSH entertainment all over the world. The recently concluded Sao Paulo event saw Astralis win the Trophy yet again as they continue to establish their dominance over their opponents. The Blast Pro Series events are definitely a unique take on current Counter-Strike events in the scene. The biggest differentiating factor for the tournament is their format and the participating teams.

Direct Invites

All Blast Pro Series has a unique system in the way they select their attending teams. The organisers send out direct invites to their participating teams. The Blast Pro Series features six invited teams who compete for the prize pool of $250,000. These six invited teams play against each other over a two day period to determine the final winner of the tournament.

Best of One Format in the Group stage

The Blast Pro Series is notorious for providing Best of One format in the Group stages. The teams veto their maps before the start of the tournament. It allows them ample time to prepare for their opponents. Since the teams play their matches at the same time, it leaves little time for preparation for their next match.

The vetoes are done before the start of the event to ensure a streamlined process for the rest of the event. Teams can have their strategies and plans ready for their opponents on a particular map. The Grand finals are the only Best of Three series in the event.

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Astralis secure another tournament victory for themselves

The Danish team has not failed to impress us with their performance. They have repeatedly ensured their performance stays at the top and they are able to defend their title as the best in the world. The Astralis team managed to easily defend their Blast Pro series Title after defeating Team Liquid 2-1 in the Grand finals. The first map of Dust 2 was a Liquid Favourite and they managed to secure the victory on the map. Astralis did fight back, but eventually Team Liquid took the lead and eventually the map.

The next two maps were very much a blur as Astralis crushed the North American team. Team Liquid was only able to manage a total of 10 rounds in the two maps. In the current meta which favours comebacks and allows teams enough leeway to do so, Team Liquid was simply unable to land their shots. Astralis, on the other hand, looked extremely comfortable on their maps of Inferno and Overpass.

Is the Blast Pro Series format a good format?

The question of whether it is a good format or not is irrelevant in the current circumstances. The Blast Pro series is entertaining and it provides viewers with the best quality Counter STrike. As long as RFRSH put enough thought into the direct invites, we should always have a very competitive environment around their tournaments.

The success of the format is seen in other esports titles. While CS:GO does not have a franchise system, it does not mean that teams are not amenable to such an idea. In fact, ESL was in active discussions with several CS:GO teams in the past to have a closed tournament circuit. It would have essentially allowed teams to get exposure and a greater say in the running of the tournament. However, after public backlash, the parties dropped the idea.

The Blast Pro Series is not the same. They invite teams on a per tournament basis. These invites are carefully decided after reviewing the team’s’ performance and popularity amongst fans. The location of the event also plays a crucial factor in the overall decision of team invites.

The Blast Pro Series is entertaining and that is what matters to most viewers. In the future, as long as the tournament organisers have good seeing and invite, we will be subject to more excitement and competitive Counter-Strike. The next Blast Pro Series tournament will be the Blast Pro Series Miami 2019. You can catch all the action live on their official Twitch Channel here.