The Counter-Strike year 2023 officially began today with the group phase of the BLAST Premier: Spring. Berlin International Gaming is a German team in the field of participants. But the competition is fierce
The winter break is over, the Counter-Strike tournament cycle begins anew.
As usual from the last few years, the BLAST Premier tournament series kicks off with the spring edition. A total of twelve teams will be competing for tickets to the next round.
BLAST Premier Spring: 12 teams, 6 tickets
As is so common with the tournament series, the Spring event is just one of three major tournaments in the BLAST Premier series. Two identical competitions take place in both spring and autumn.
It starts with a group phase, in which the first six teams qualify directly for the next round – the Spring (or optionally Fall) Finals. While there is a total prize pool of “only” about 180,000 USD during the group phase, this grows to a stable 425,000 USD in the finals events. The increase in the money to be won, which logically increases the better a team performs, is similar to the so-called BLAST Premier Points.
These points ultimately decide who will be represented at the third and final event of the tournament series – the big BLAST Premier: World Final 2023 with a million in the prize pot. In addition to the winners of the spring and autumn events, who secure their participation through their victories, two further starting places will be awarded solely on the basis of the BLAST Premier Points collected.
24 HOURS LEFT TO LOCK IN YOUR PICK’EMS 💥
👀 12 teams
🏅 6 spots at Spring Final
🔫 24 matches
📅 19th – 29th February👉 https://t.co/BwsD7XiuV8 pic.twitter.com/DwpRrhsbbP
– BLAST.tv (@BLASTtv) January 18, 2023
The field of participants is bursting with top-class players from the scene. With Heroic, G2 Esports, Team Liquid and the FaZe Clan alone, the current Top4 of the unofficial world ranking list of HLTV are taking part. But Natus Vincere, Team Vitality, the aforementioned German representatives from BIG, the Ninjas in Pyjamas as well as Astralis have all already proven that they are always good for deep runs.
Only Complexity Gaming and the Evil Geniuses fall a little behind in talent level on paper. But that doesn’t mean they should be written off or underestimated right from the start.
The tournament will be played in the familiar best-of-three mode. The twelve teams are divided into three groups, which are played in a double-elimination format. The winners of each group are certain to qualify for the Spring Final. Those who did not prevail will have another chance to get one of three remaining tickets in the following play-in stage.
