The closed qualifier stage for BLAST Open Fall 2026 commenced yesterday with eight contenders vying for one coveted spot at the European event.
Established names M80 and Voca progressed to the semifinal stage, where LAG and regain will meet them after navigating their opening matches.
regain delivered the day's biggest surprise against Marsborne, completing a 2-1 comeback victory. Marsborne dominated the opening map Ancient 13-1 on regain's selection, but couldn't maintain momentum on Cache, falling 13-5. The deciding Mirage went to overtime, where regain clutched the thriller to book their semifinal place.
M80 faced WINNERS, a roster featuring Austin "Cooper" Abadir, Ryan "freakazoid" Abadir, and Cooper "Trucklover86" Phelps. The professional squad made quick work of the streamer team with a clean 2-0 sweep. Michael "Swisher" Schmid posted exceptional numbers, finishing 42-24 across both maps.
Voca experienced smooth sailing against NuTorious, with Wyatt "snav" Phillippi, Edgar "MarKE" Maldonado, and Kamron "kmrn" Manii leading the charge in a comfortable 2-0 elimination. They'll now prepare for regain in the semifinals.
LAG edged past Overtake Sector 2-0, though the scorelines reflected competitive battles. They narrowly secured Mirage 13-11 and Inferno 13-9, earning a semifinal clash with M80.
Tonight's semifinal matchups are scheduled with Marsborne facing LAG at 06:30PM, followed by Voca versus regain at 08:30PM.
