BLAST Rivals Season 2: full teams, format, schedule, talent, prizes and fantasy revealed

BLAST Rivals Season 2: full teams, format, schedule, talent, prizes and fantasy revealed

BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2 (often shortened to Rivals S2) has officially confirmed its lineup, structure and major details ahead of its November launch at the AsiaWorld-Arena in Hong Kong. Positioned as the final major event before the upcoming Budapest Major, the tournament is designed to be an intense showdown featuring eight international squads, a significant prize pool, and a strong broadcast talent roster. 

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Teams & Format

The event will include eight teams: four invited via the global VRS (Virtual Regional Series) system and four wild-card invites representing Europe, Asia, North America and South America. 
The competitive structure is divided into two double-elimination groups, each containing four teams. In each group three teams will advance: the group winner moves directly to the semi-finals, while runner-up and third-place teams go into an additional playoff round. 
The grand-final will be a best-of-five match held on Sunday. Notably, the event will not feature a third-place decider match, differing from many other tier-one tournaments. 

Group assignments have been set:

• Group A: The MongolZ (Mongolia), Spirit (Russia), Falcons (Europe) and Passion UA (Other).

• Group B: Vitality (Europe), paiN Gaming (Brazil), FURIA (Brazil) and TYLOO (China). 
  Vitality, as defending champions from Season 1 (which they won over Falcons in Denmark), are already under the spotlight.
  FURIA arrives with momentum, fresh off a title at IEM Chengdu. 
  The event will take place at AsiaWorld-Arena in Chek Lap Kok (Hong Kong), a venue with a capacity of about 12,500, located close to Hong Kong International Airport. 

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Schedule

The competition runs from 12 November 2025 onward. For example, on Day 1 the matchups include The MongolZ vs Passion UA (03:00), Spirit vs Falcons (05:30), FURIA vs paiN (08:30) and Vitality vs TYLOO (10:30). 
Exact times are listed in the event’s official schedule. 

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Talent Line-up

Confirmed on-site broadcast talent includes:

• Desk analysts: Freya “Freya” Spiers (UK), Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen (DK), Jacob “Pimp” Winneche (DK), Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg (US)

• Commentary: Harry “JustHarry” Russell (UK), Hugo “Hugo” Byron (UK), Mohan “launders” Govindasamy (CA), Conner “Scrawny” Girvan (CA) 

• Stage & sideline hosts: James “BanKs” Banks (UK), Mike “DarfMike” Winnick (US), Stephen Light (China)
  The presence of this talent package signals BLAST’s commitment to high production value and global appeal.

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Prize Pool & Rewards

The tournament comes with a US$350,000 prize pool. Prize distribution is as follows:

• 1st place: US$125,000

• 2nd: US$75,000

• 3-4th: US$40,000 each

• 5-6th: US$25,000 each

• 7-8th: US$10,000 each
  Additionally, winners will receive two Frequent Flyer tokens via blast.tv.

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Fantasy Mode & Engagement

BLAST Rivals Season 2 also launches a dedicated fantasy game where fans can earn season points and win exclusive in-game skins provided by Skin.Club. Rewards for top fantasy players include:

• M4A1-S | Hyper Beast (Field-Tested)

• AK-47 | Neon Rider (Field-Tested)

• AWP | Elite Build (Field-Tested)
  This fantasy element underscores the growing integration of interactive fan features in CS2 events.

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Significance and Key Takeaways

1. Last big event before the Budapest Major: With the event serving as a curtain-raiser ahead of the Major, teams are under added pressure to perform and fine-tune their strategies.

2. Global representation: Teams span Europe, Asia, South America and the CIS, reinforcing the cosmopolitan nature of modern Counter-Strike competition.

3. Venue and format innovations: Using the large AsiaWorld-Arena and the two-group double-elim format underscores BLAST’s ambition to mirror major LAN events in scale.

4. Fan-centric mechanics: The fantasy league and sizeable prize pool, combined with fan-accessible broadcast talent, highlight how CS2 events are evolving beyond pure competition into entertainment ecosystems.

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Looking Ahead

With the format locked and participants confirmed, all eyes will shift to Hong Kong in mid-November. Two questions loom large:

• Which team will adapt best to the double-elimination group structure and leap past the favourite?

• How will rosters use the event as a springboard ahead of the Budapest Major?

Whatever the outcome, BLAST Rivals S2 promises to be a high-octane prelude to the final major of the year — one where momentum, strategy and mental endurance will matter as much as raw firepower.