BLAST Bounty CS2 Qualifier Sets Up Malta LAN Finals

The BLAST Bounty Summer 2026 qualifier ran from July 21‑26, featuring 32 Counter‑Strike 2 teams in a single‑elimination, best‑of‑three format. Eight teams earned tickets to the LAN finals in Malta from July 30 to August 2, where they will compete for a share of a $2 million prize pool and a spot in the CS2 World Cup.

Notable results included Liquid defeating both Vitality and G2, while Falcons, the IEM Cologne Major winners, were eliminated early by 100 Thieves. Other advancing squads were MOUZ, FaZe, G2, and Team Spirit. In the round of 16, The MongolZ, ranked 15th globally, faced Wildcard, ranked 77th, with bookmakers listing The MongolZ as a clear favorite at roughly –315 odds.

The tournament serves as the first major test of the new CS2 season, shaping team momentum ahead of the Malta event and the subsequent World Cup.