The organizers of BLAST Bounty 2026 have presented the final bounty amounts for the tournament participants. The format keeps its key feature — teams receive additional money for victories over specific opponents. However, instead of the expected discussion of prize money, the community immediately focused on something else: Aurora has been valued higher than Spirit.
BLAST Bounty
The BLAST Bounty format keeps its main feature — an additional cash bonus is awarded for beating certain teams. This encourages aggressive play and creates additional pressure on top organizations, as they become the most valuable “targets.” The bounty does not replace the prize pool; it acts as a supplement that can significantly change the financial outcome of a run even for underdogs.
read more
Why exactly this became a problem
Looking at the reward distribution, Aurora was placed in the highest category — beating them will bring a team $60,000. Spirit, meanwhile, ended up one tier lower, with half the amount paid for defeating them.
The core of the conflict is not money itself, but logic. Over recent seasons, Spirit have consistently been among the strongest teams in the world, regularly fighting for trophies and achieving significant results on the international stage. Aurora cannot boast a similar record and is only gradually establishing itself among the elite.
In effect, a team with more modest achievements has been valued by the organizers significantly higher than an established powerhouse of the scene. This is perceived as the most controversial aspect of the entire bounty grid.
The format context and why this decision stands out
The BLAST Bounty format is built around additional financial motivation. A win over a “valuable” team becomes not only a sporting sensation, but also a separate source of income. Therefore, determining each team’s value automatically forms a hierarchy of strength in the eyes of viewers.
When Aurora is placed on the same level as the main favorites of the season and Spirit — below them — it looks less like a bold decision and more like a strange one. It provokes discussion about whether the table reflects the real competitive landscape or is a deliberate marketing move to generate noise.
How this will affect the tournament
This distribution adds another psychological layer to the competition. Matches against Aurora now become doubly meaningful, as opponents will know that their defeat carries the maximum bounty reward. At the same time, Spirit, whom many consider stronger at the moment, are formally valued lower. This creates a peculiar imbalance of expectations and pressure.
read more
BLAST Bounty 2026
BLAST Bounty 2026 has not even started yet, but it has already become a subject of debate. The format traditionally promises spectacle, risky decisions, and aggressive play. However, the main talking point unexpectedly became not the tournament rules, but the team value table.
Aurora has turned out to be more expensive than Spirit — and this decision is difficult to justify purely by sporting arguments. Whether real gameplay will confirm it, or whether it is only a loud marketing move, we will see during the tournament. One thing is already certain: every Aurora match will now carry double meaning — both tournament and financial.
