Team Falcons Advance to the Second Stage of BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Qualifiers (CS2) — Verified Overview

Team Falcons Advance to the Second Stage of BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Qualifiers (CS2) — Verified Overview

The BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 competitive circuit has officially begun for Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), marking the opening of the 2026 esports season with one of the year’s earliest and most intriguing online tournaments. Among the 32 teams competing in the Closed Qualifier phase, Team Falcons successfully won their opening match and moved forward into the second elimination round of qualifying for the main event. 

This phase of the event, known as the Closed Qualifier, runs online from January 13 to January 18, 2026, and only the top eight teams from this bracket will earn the right to compete in the LAN Finals in Malta from January 22 to January 25. 

Unlike a conventional tournament that simply awards placement-based prize money, BLAST Bounty’s unique format encourages teams to earn rewards based on the bounty value of the opponents they eliminate — meaning that defeating higher-seeded opponents enhances both money and competitive standing. 

In their opening matchup, Team Falcons faced the squad ECSTATIC, and their victory in this elimination series (played in a best-of-three format) allowed them to advance to the Top 16 bracket of the qualifier. 

---

Format and Context of the Event

The BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Closed Qualifier is a single-elimination bracket where one loss results in elimination — a format that places intense pressure on teams from the first series onward. All matches are best of three (BO3), and the bracket reduces from 32 teams to 16, and then from 16 down to the eight qualifiers who will feature at the Malta LAN event. 

Major teams from the global CS2 scene are participating, including Team Vitality, FURIA Esports, Astralis, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team Spirit, Virtus.pro, Monte, GamerLegion, and others alongside Falcons. 

Fierce opening matches have already produced significant results:

• Team Vitality eliminated Virtus.pro to secure their second-round spot.

• Monte stunned Natus Vincere (NaVi), knocking out one of the historically strong squads.

• Inner Circle overcame 3DMAX to move into Round 2.

• GamerLegion dispatched Passion UA to reach the next phase.

Some prominent names — such as Virtus.pro, Natus Vincere, Passion UA, and Friendly Campers — were eliminated from the qualifier early, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the format. 

---

Team Falcons in Broader CS2 Competitive Context

Team Falcons has established itself as a consistently competitive squad in recent months. At the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, they finished in the top eight, demonstrating strong performances against elite competition, though ultimately being swept at the quarterfinals stage by Team Spirit. 

Additionally, in previous BLAST events such as BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2, Falcons reached the final but were defeated by FURIA Esports, another top contender in the CS2 scene. 

Historically, the organization also secured a spot in the ESL Pro League Season 22 Grand Final, defeating MOUZ in the playoffs thanks to highlights from star player m0NESY before falling to Team Vitality in the final. 

These recent results reflect a roster with the ability to compete against elite teams — a factor that makes their journey through the BLAST Bounty Winter qualification especially compelling. Moving into Round 2 of the qualifier, Falcons will face increasingly strong opposition, with top-tier squads looking to punch their ticket to Malta. 

---

What Comes Next

After the second round of the qualifier concludes on January 18, the final eight teams will be confirmed and will prepare for LAN finals in Malta. There, in a studio-style environment, they will compete for higher placements and the main BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 title between January 22–25. 

This LAN phase is anticipated to offer a more traditional tournament atmosphere, even without massive crowds, and could shape the early 2026 competitive landscape for CS2 — especially as Valve Majors and other top-tier events loom later in the season.