BLAST Slam IX will be held online: community reaction

BLAST announced that the final tournament of the series in 2026, BLAST Slam IX, will be held entirely online, with a prize pool of $750,000. The BLAST Slam series was originally held with LAN stages, but the ninth tournament will be an exception.

The organizers explained the decision by the packed professional calendar at the end of the year. According to them, the online format will reduce travel for teams and give players more time to focus directly on their matches.

In addition, the tournament's prize pool will be smaller than at most previous events in the series. Previous tournaments offered $1,000,000 each, while participants at BLAST Slam IX will compete for $750,000. The same prize pool has also been announced for the upcoming BLAST Slam VIII, which will take place from 29.09.2026 to 11.10.2026 in Malta.

Members of the Dota 2 community reacted to the organizers' decision. Streamer and former professional player Yaroslav NS Kuznetsov criticized the declining number of major LAN tournaments and compared the current state of Dota 2 with Counter-Strike 2.

While CS2 has arenas and hype, the Dota 2 professional scene is increasingly turning into a dull conveyor belt of repetitive, faceless tournaments. There are only a couple of decent events left each year from ESL, the Esports World Cup and, perhaps, The International.

NS also noted that DreamLeague is held online, PGL organizes tournaments in a studio format, while FISSURE Playground is no longer being held. In his view, this points to a trend of organizers moving toward online formats, which involve lower costs.

Reddit users also pointed out that the tournament's move online coincided with a reduction in the prize pool.

Some users suggested that the changes could be related to optimizing the costs of running the tournament. Other participants in the discussion expressed disappointment over the declining number of LAN events in Dota 2 and noted that the online format deprives tournaments of the atmosphere of matches played in front of a live audience.

It is worth noting that on the final day of The International 2026 in Shanghai, the spectator area was completely full despite the absence of Chinese teams.

BLAST Slam IX will take place from 20.11.2026 to 29.11.2026. The tournament will feature 16 teams and have a prize pool of $750,000. The organizers have yet to reveal the full list of participants.

Earlier, Cyberscore reported that Team Liquid had begun staff cuts amid a worsening financial outlook.