Details for BLAST Slam VIII have been revealed including qualifier dates, new format, and more.
Danish tournament organiser BLAST is bringing its flagship Dota 2 event back to Malta this year, after having hosted the sixth edition there last February. Taking place from 29 September to 11 October, BLAST Slam VIII will feature an expanded team pool, an additional qualifier stage, a revamped competitive format, and several other changes.
BLAST Slam VIII teams, qualifiers, and dates announced
Unlike previous editions, which featured 12 teams, the eighth edition of BLAST Slam will host a total of 16 teams, creating more opportunities for additional competitors.
While 12 teams will receive direct invites, including one slot specifically allocated to the Americas, the remaining four teams will qualify through regional qualifiers. Europe has been awarded two slots, while Southeast Asia and China will each receive one.
The direct invites will be announced by 4 August. Teams that miss out can then compete in the single-elimination regional qualifiers. Two Open Qualifiers will take place from 26-27 August, followed by the Closed Qualifiers from 29-30 August.
What is the format for BLAST Slam VIII?
The Danish organiser has previously shown casual experimentation with formats rarely seen at Tier 1 events. This time, BLAST has introduced another significant overhaul to the tournament structure, providing teams with more opportunities during the online Group Stage before sending the final six teams to compete live in Malta.
From 29 September to 3 October, all 16 teams will compete online on European servers. They will be divided into four GSL groups of four teams, with each group playing its own double-elimination bracket. Every series in the groups will be played as a best-of-three (BO3), which only means more action for fans and greater adaptability for teams.
The winner of each group will advance to the seeding matches, where the two winners will earn direct places in the Upper Bracket Semi-finals. The two losing teams from the seeding matches will instead advance to the Quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, the second-placed teams from each group will compete in the Last Chance stage, with the two winners progressing to the Quarter-finals. While the six-winning teams will secure a place at the LAN event, those remaining will be eliminated at the end of the Group Stage.
The final six teams will then travel to Malta to compete in front of a live audience at BLAST Arena Studios. The competition resumes on 8-11 October, where teams will battle for the lion's share of the combined $750,000 prize pool, consisting of $550,000 in player prize money and $200,000 in team earnings. The grand finale will host the standard best-of-five (BO5) format with the winner set to lift the next BLAST trophy in front of a live crowd.
Ticket sales for BLAST Slam VII will be announced soon.
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