From August 26 to September 6, 16 teams will compete at BLAST Open Porto 2026. The group stage will be played in Copenhagen, with only six teams advancing to the playoffs at the Super Bock Arena in Porto.
The tournament begins only days after Esports World Cup, making recent form especially important. Spirit arrive as EWC champions, FUT and Legacy produced breakthrough runs in Paris, while teams such as Vitality, Falcons, FURIA and MOUZ have something to prove. There are also several changes to the original field. paiN replaced BetBoom after visa problems, the former Sharks roster will compete as DENDELE, while Vitality will use jL instead of mezii.
Format
The 16 teams are divided into two double-elimination groups of eight. Every group-stage match is a BO3. Three teams from each group advance. Group winners receive direct spots in the semi-finals, while the remaining four teams start the playoffs from the quarter-finals. The grand final will be played as a BO5.
S-Tier — Spirit, FUT
Spirit are the clearest favorite in Porto. After an early loss to JiJieHao at EWC, they recovered and went on to beat BIG, B8, Vitality, Legacy and FUT to win the tournament. donk and sh1ro continue to give Spirit one of the highest individual ceilings in Counter-Strike, while the EWC title showed that the team can once again consistently convert that firepower into trophies. The biggest concern is fatigue, with almost no break between Paris and Porto.
FUT deserve to enter the same tier after their EWC performance. They defeated MOUZ twice, eliminated FURIA and reached the grand final, where they became the only team to take a map from Spirit during the playoffs. One great event is not enough to establish FUT permanently among the world’s elite, but their Paris run was too convincing to treat as a simple upset. Porto will show whether they can immediately repeat that level.
A-Tier — Legacy, Falcons, FURIA, MOUZ
Legacy were perhaps the biggest surprise at EWC. They defeated NAVI, swept Major champions Falcons and finished third after another victory over FURIA. Their only playoff loss came against Spirit. They now enter Porto as a legitimate playoff contender rather than an outsider. Their opening match against FUT should immediately show whether their EWC form can carry over.
Falcons remain one of the most dangerous teams in the field. Their Cologne Major title showed the ceiling of a roster built around m0NESY, NiKo and kyousuke, but their following tournaments have been far less convincing. A quarter-final loss to Legacy at EWC was another reminder that Falcons are still struggling to maintain the same level from event to event. Anything below the playoffs in Porto would be disappointing.
FURIA continue to have one of the most reliable floors among top teams. After finishing second at the Cologne Major, they reached another deep playoff run at EWC before losing to FUT and Legacy. Their combination of experience and individual firepower makes them a serious contender again, even if they arrive without the same momentum as Spirit or FUT.
MOUZ are difficult to evaluate. They recently defeated Spirit 3-1 to win BLAST Bounty, proving that the current lineup can win elite tournaments. At EWC, however, FUT defeated them twice, including a 2-0 quarter-final elimination. Porto is an opportunity to prove that the Bounty victory was not simply one exceptional week.
B-Tier — Vitality, G2, NAVI, Aurora, 9z
Vitality remain one of the strongest teams on paper, but their current status is very different from earlier in the season. Their dominant run has slowed down significantly, they lost to Spirit in the EWC quarter-finals, and Porto adds another complication with jL replacing mezii. ZywOo, ropz and flameZ still give them enough quality to win against anyone, but entering this event they are no longer an automatic title favorite.
G2 showed flashes of their ceiling at EWC but once again struggled with consistency. Their quarter-final against FURIA perfectly summarized the problem: a dominant first map followed by two one-sided defeats. The firepower is clearly there, but they still need to prove they can maintain their best level throughout an entire tournament.
NAVI returned from their break without producing the improvement many expected. They defeated The MongolZ at EWC but were then eliminated 0-2 by Legacy. There is still enough quality around b1t, w0nderful and makazze to make a playoff run, but recent results do not justify placing them among the main Porto favorites.
Aurora are still early in the development of their new international roster. XANTARES and woxic now play alongside kyxsan and Jimpphat, with the project only formed during the summer. Their EWC performance was encouraging, including wins over M80 and JiJieHao and a competitive series against FURIA. Porto could be their first opportunity to produce a real statement win.
9z entered EWC after an impressive summer but left Paris disappointed. They started with a dominant win over paiN before losing to FURIA and then being eliminated by magic. Their Cologne Major quarter-final remains proof of their potential, but Porto will show whether EWC was simply a bad event or the beginning of a more difficult period.
C-Tier — paiN, DENDELE, Inner Circle, M80, Lynn Vision
paiN received their Porto spot only after BetBoom withdrew. Their recent international form has been inconsistent, and an opening match against FURIA makes their route especially difficult. DENDELE, formerly Sharks, are one of the more dangerous outsiders. They already showed their upset potential by defeating FURIA at BLAST Bounty, although starting Porto against Spirit gives them almost no margin for error.
Inner Circle qualified by winning the European Rising event without dropping a map. The Ukrainian roster has strong tier-two form, but Porto will be a significant step up in opposition. M80 continue to struggle when moving from North American competition to international events. They left both BLAST Bounty and EWC without a series victory and enter Porto as outsiders again.
Lynn Vision showed a respectable level at EWC, including a victory over TYLOO, but were comfortably beaten by Vitality. Against the strength of Group B, reaching the playoffs would be a major surprise.
Why BLAST Open Porto Matters
Porto should show whether the hierarchy created at EWC is temporary or something more significant. Spirit now have another chance to establish themselves as the clear number one, while FUT must prove their Paris final was not a one-off. Legacy face a similar challenge after their unexpected podium finish.
At the same time, Vitality are trying to recover their earlier dominance with a stand-in, Falcons need more consistency after winning the Major, and teams such as G2, NAVI and Aurora still have major questions around their current level. With only six of 16 teams reaching Portugal, BLAST Open Porto should quickly separate teams carrying real momentum from those still searching for their best form.
