BLAST Premier has confirmed Ulaanbaatar as the host city for its second Open event of 2027. The tournament brings a tier-one Counter-Strike LAN to Mongolia for the first time.
Here is everything confirmed so far about dates, prize money, and how teams will qualify.
When Is BLAST Open Ulaanbaatar 2027
The event runs from May 10 to May 23, 2027. It spans two weeks of competition and features 16 teams competing for a total prize pool of $1,250,000.
Mongolia’s First BLAST Premier Event
This marks the first time BLAST Premier holds a full event in Mongolia. The organization previously had a smaller presence in the country through a qualifying event tied to BLAST Open London in 2025, but Ulaanbaatar 2027 will be its first complete tournament held there.
BLAST says the event brings its arena production and live competition directly to one of Counter-Strike’s most active fan communities.
How Teams Qualify for the Event
Sixteen teams will compete at BLAST Open Ulaanbaatar. Of these, 11 receive direct invitations through the Global VRS rankings. The remaining five come through regional qualifiers held in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
Each region gets one qualifying slot. Because Ulaanbaatar is the host city, Asia receives an extra slot, bringing its total to two qualifying teams.
Key Dates for Qualification
The first round of invitations goes out on March 2, 2027, based on VRS rankings from March 1. The same date applies to regional qualifier invites.
Regional qualifiers take place online from April 16 to 18. Each closed qualifier invites four teams through the Global VRS and runs as an 8-team single elimination bracket. The Asia closed qualifier uses an 8-team GSL format instead.
Roster locks are set for April 12 for online qualifiers and April 30 for the main event.
Teams looking to enter through open qualifiers can find full details in the BLAST Handbook.
Prize Pool and Team Payments
The $1,250,000 prize pool splits into $500,000 in prize money and $750,000 in team payments. BLAST is also introducing a new acceptance fee model, which gives invited teams additional payments beyond standard prize distribution.
Mongolia’s Growing Counter-Strike Scene
Mongolia has built a strong following in competitive Counter-Strike in recent years. The MongolZ reached the final of the BLAST.tv Austin Major in 2025, losing to Team Vitality.
BLAST says local fans have shown strong support for the game, often watching tournaments live at early morning hours due to time zone differences.
Part of a Wider 2027 Expansion
BLAST describes the Ulaanbaatar event as part of a broader plan for 2027, taking major tournaments to new cities and regions rather than sticking to familiar hosts.
Other confirmed destinations for BLAST Premier in 2027 include Rio de Janeiro, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malta.
The full BLAST Premier 2027 schedule announced so far:
- BLAST Bounty Season 1: Malta, January 11-24
- BLAST Open Singapore: March 15-28
- BLAST Open Ulaanbaatar: Mongolia, May 10-23
- BLAST Bounty Season 2: August 30-September 12
- BLAST Open Rio: Brazil, October 4-17
- BLAST Rivals: November 8-14
