ECSTATIC Confirmed as Replacement for Imperial Esports at BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 — Full Context and Background

ECSTATIC Confirmed as Replacement for Imperial Esports at BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 — Full Context and Background

BLAST Premier has officially announced that ECSTATIC, the Danish Counter‑Strike 2 team, will take the place of Imperial Esports at the upcoming BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 tournament. The announcement, confirmed on December 23, 2025, confirms that Imperial Esports will not participate in the event, and ECSTATIC will fill the vacant slot in the 32‑team online stage scheduled for January 12–17, 2026. 

This development means that ECSTATIC will compete alongside 31 other teams during the early phase of the tournament, with the Round of 32 followed by the Round of 16, and the top eight qualifiers advancing to the offline LAN playoffs taking place in Malta from January 23–25, 2026. 

What BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 Is

BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 is part of the BLAST Premier circuit, one of the major global Counter‑Strike 2 competitive series. BLAST events attract top professional teams from around the world, mixing online competition with offline LAN phases. The Bounty format continues BLAST’s expanded open‑style circuit, which has replaced previous partner‑team locks with broader invitations based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) system. 

The tournament offers a $1,150,000 prize pool and uses a single‑elimination best‑of‑three format, with the Grand Final typically played as best of five. Early rounds are played online, while the final stages feature in‑person LAN play in Malta. 

ECSTATIC’s Competitive Form

ECSTATIC, currently ranked around 35th in the Global VRS, enters this BLAST event with momentum. Prior to the news of their replacement spot, the team achieved second place finishes at both Galaxy Battle 2025 Phase 5 and DraculaN Season 3, losing both finals to FUT, another team invited to BLAST Bounty. 

Although not yet a regular at Tier 1 LAN events, ECSTATIC has shown strong performances both online and in regional offline competitions. Their inclusion in BLAST Bounty provides the organization with a valuable early‑season opportunity to compete against top‑tier opponents and improve their standings. 

Imperial Esports’ Absence

The Brazilian organization Imperial Esports was originally slated to compete at BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1, but will not be present at the event. BLAST has not publicly disclosed the specific reason for Imperial’s withdrawal or replacement. 

Imperial Esports, historically known for their strong presence in the Brazilian CS scene and past participation at major events, has been less prominent in recent months, and this decision continues a trend of roster and competitive changes for the organization. 

Teams and Competitive Field

The BLAST Bounty tournament has seen some notable invite declines from high‑profile teams. According to HLTV.org, organizations like MOUZ, The MongolZ, and G2 Esports have opted out of the event, opening the door for additional teams to compete.

Some of the confirmed participants include:

• Team Vitality

• FURIA

• Falcons

• FaZe Clan

• Natus Vincere

• Spirit

• Astralis

• 3DMAX

• paiN Gaming

• Liquid

• Passion UA

• PARIVISION

• HEROIC

• GamerLegion

• fnatic

• NRG

• EYEBALLERS

• Inner Circle

• OG

• 9INE

• Sinners

• …and now ECSTATIC in place of Imperial.

This mix of teams reflects a broad global field, with organizations from Europe, North America, South America, Russia, and beyond. Some invited teams earned spots based on VRS rankings, while others accepted invitations following higher‑ranked teams declining to compete. 

BLAST Bounty’s Role in the CS2 Calendar

BLAST Bounty events are a major part of the early Counter‑Strike 2 competitive calendar, offering critical ranking points and valuable prize earnings ahead of other premier events such as IEM Kraków 2026 and the next competitive Majors. 

The BLAST Bounty tournaments test teams in both online and offline environments, bridging the gap between open circuit competition and LAN prestige. For teams like ECSTATIC, strong performance can significantly enhance their profile and momentum heading into future seasons.