BLAST has officially confirmed the list of 12 teams that have received direct invitations to the BLAST Open Porto. The tournament kicks off on August 24, immediately following the conclusion of the Esports World Cup 2026. None of the 12 invited teams have declined their invitation.
The participants include the 12 top teams in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of July 6—that date was the cutoff for determining which teams would receive invitations. They will play the first part of the tournament at the BLAST studio in Copenhagen.
Vitality is considered one of the top contenders for the title, entering the tournament as the reigning BLAST Open Rotterdam champions. They will face competition from the Cologne Major champions, the Falcons, as well as Spirit and Natus Vincere, who are traditionally among the favorites at major international tournaments.
A total of 16 teams will compete at the BLAST Open Porto. In addition to the teams that received direct invitations, four winners of the regional qualifiers —Lynn Vision, M80, Sharks, and Inner Circle— will also participate in the tournament, having earned their spots through the qualifiers.
The group stage will take place starting August 24 in Copenhagen. After it concludes, the six strongest teams will head to Porto, where they will compete for the championship title from September 4 to 6 at the Super Bock Arena – Pavilhão Rosa Mota.
List of all teams participating in the tournament:
- Falcons
- Vitality
- Spirit
- FURIA
- Natus Vincere
- 9z
- Aurora
- G2
- BetBoom
- MOUZ
- Legacy
- FUT
- M80
- Inner Circle
- Lynn Vision
- Sharks