BLAST provided details on the format of the upcoming Slam VIII

On the tournament operator’s official website, BLAST explained what the format of the upcoming Slam VIII will look like.

Open qualifiers will take place August 26–27 in Europe, China, and Southeast Asia. All matches will be played in a single-elimination format, and closed qualifiers will take place from August 29 to 30. Regional quotas are allocated as follows: Europe receives 2 slots in the main stage of the tournament, while China and Southeast Asia receive 1 each.

A total of 16 teams will qualify for the tournament, 12 of which will receive direct invitations. They will compete for $550,000 in prize money for players and $200,000 for clubs. The group stage will follow a GSL format, with teams divided into four equal groups; matches will be best-of-three and held online from September 29 to October 3.

The final stage will be held October 8–11 at the BLAST studio in Malta with a live audience. As before, the top six teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket, with the top finishers from the previous stage advancing directly to the semifinals.

Team Yandex was crowned the BLAST Slam VII champion — they defeated LGD Gaming 3–1 in the competition’s grand final and claimed the tournament’s top prize of $300,000, plus an additional $100,000 for their organization. The runner-up received $150,000 and $45,000 for their organization.

Photo: BLAST.