BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 Niveauliste

On March 18, BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 kicks off, bringing together both the strongest teams on the global CS scene and those looking to challenge the elite—especially Team Vitality. In this article, we’ve created a tier list of all participants to better understand which teams are the tournament favorites and which ones might be eliminated early.

BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 Tier List

Below is a structured tier list of all teams before we move on to the detailed breakdown.

Below, we explain in detail why each team is placed in these positions.

C-Tier (Likely Early Eliminations)

NRG Esports – A North American team that qualified through regional qualifiers. At the recent ESL Pro League Season 23, they exited in the first stage with a 0-3 record, failing to secure a single win despite the online format. Their opening opponent at BLAST is Falcons, meaning they could start the tournament with a loss.

9z – A South American team that also qualified through regional qualifiers. 9z mainly competes in tier-2 and tier-3 tournaments. Their first opponent will be Vitality, leaving the Argentine squad with very slim chances.

B8 – The Ukrainian team has shown inconsistent results recently, especially after signing AWPer s1zzi, who is still searching for stable form.

TYLOO – The Chinese squad has decent results within their region. BLAST Open Rotterdam is a great opportunity for them to test themselves against top-tier opponents. While TYLOO has experience on the tier-1 scene and could surprise, it’s unlikely to happen at this tournament.

B-Tier (Teams That Can Compete in Groups)

Aurora – The Turkish team remains quite inconsistent. Their recent run to the grand final of ESL Pro League Season 23, where they lost to NAVI 1-3, shows they can perform well. However, with teams like Vitality and Falcons present, repeating that success will be difficult.

Liquid – Another inconsistent team still searching for its identity. Their recent performances have been underwhelming. Liquid needs to play with more confidence and occasionally step away from predictable patterns to surprise opponents. They might have improved coming into this event, at least enough to show a better level.

NiP – The European team recently won HyperX Roman Imperium Cup VI. While the level of competition there was lower, the team is in active form. A playoff run seems unlikely, but NiP could still put up a competitive fight in the group stage.

A-Tier (Playoff Contenders)

MOUZ – A team that consistently competes on the tier-1 scene. MOUZ often gets through group stages without major issues and can play well against top-5 and top-10 teams. However, they tend to fall short in the playoffs. At BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026, they have strong chances to reach playoffs—but likely not much further.

PARIVISION – A dangerous team that already won BLAST Winter 2026 and reached the final of PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, where they lost to Vitality 0-3. These results show they are ready for any scenario. Their experience against Vitality could play a key role in their success.

FaZe Clan – A team that unexpectedly reached the final of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, losing to Vitality 1-3. Their recent performances show a decline, but FaZe has proven they can win when expectations are low. A huge upset is unlikely, but they will definitely fight for a playoff spot.

The MongolZ – The Mongolian squad is gradually improving after signing cobrazera. At ESL Pro League Season 23, they reached the playoffs before losing to NAVI 0-2. They should not be underestimated, as their aggressive playstyle makes them dangerous, and they have solid chances to reach playoffs.

S-Tier (Final Contenders)

Falcons – The star duo of m0NESY and NiKo has yet to fully deliver. The team consistently performs on the tier-1 scene but lacks trophies so far. Falcons have all the tools to reach the final and challenge Vitality.

Spirit – Despite a surprising 0-2 loss to Astralis in the EPL quarterfinals, the team often relies on donk’s individual performance. If he shows up, Spirit could definitely compete for the title.

FURIA – It would be fair to place the Brazilian team slightly lower due to recent results. They have shown a decline in form this year, but still have experienced players led by FalleN. They shouldn’t be counted out and could potentially make a deep run.

S+ Tier (Tournament Favorites)

Team Vitality – The French squad is widely seen as the main favorite to win BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026. They have already won IEM Krakow 2026 and PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026. They skipped ESL Pro League Season 23, allowing other teams to shine.

NAVI – Some may be skeptical about placing NAVI alongside Vitality, as they are clearly in weaker form. However, their ESL Pro League Season 23 victory speaks in their favor. Now they need to prove it wasn’t a fluke. If NAVI reach the final again, a match against Vitality would be extremely exciting.

So, Who Will Win in Rotterdam?

Overall, BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 looks like a very exciting and unpredictable tournament. Vitality enter as the main favorite, while NAVI have a chance to prove their recent success was no accident. At the same time, many teams are capable of putting up a fight and creating upsets already in the group stage. In the end, everything will be decided during the tournament itself—and we are definitely in for a lot of intense matches.