With two weeks to go until kickoff, BLAST has announced the groupings and basic schedule for its next large tournament, BLAST Premier Fall Groups, 2021. Where teams battle for a share of the $150,000 prize pool from this event alone, plus the top 6 will be entered into the Fall Final in a few months time, and the lower 6 will enter the Fall Showdown for a final chance to 2 teams to be entered into that finale.
The teams, which are Evil Geniuses, BIG, OG, MIBR, Natus Vincere, G2, FaZe, Astralis, NIP, Vitality, Complexity & Liquid have been sorted into three groups.
These groups are;
- Group 1: Astralis, Evil Geniuses, Vitality & Liquid
- Group 2: BIG, MIBR, G2 & NIP
- Group 3: OG, Natus Vincere, FaZe & Complexity
Hot off the back of the group play of ESL Pro League Season 14, a number of the teams participating here have a lot to show, not just to the fans, but also to themselves. Evil Geniuses & especially G2 infamously crashed out of that event with 0-5 in matches, and if they fail to perform here, it is all but guaranteed there will be a number of changes, perhaps not just to strategies of the teams, but also perhaps a total revamp of the active players for teams too. The managers for the likes of BIG & Astralis, who both crashed out of Pro League on 2-3 records will be making sure everyone shows up and performs. For some poor-performing teams as of late, it's even possible we may see last-minute roster additions to make sure BLAST Fall Groups has the best chance of being a good tournament for the team.
BLAST Premier Fall Groups gets to action starting September 16th, and runs for 10 days. Group 1/A play 16th to 18th, then 2/B 20th-22nd, and finally 3/C playing from 24th to 26th September. For those teams still competing in Pro League, there will be a short interlude between the end of that event, September 12th, for recovery and realigning tactics for the new set of upcoming teams. For those wishing to view the matches live, keep your eyes on the BLAST Premier YouTube & Twitch channels for live coverage.
