​BLAST Pro Series introduces national qualifiers for the Madrid tournament

Together with local partners, different qualifier formats will be tested at selected events throughout the 2019 season of BLAST Pro Series starting with Madrid on May 10-11.

Jordi Roig, Executive Producer for BLAST Pro Series:

- By introducing the first ever qualifier to a BLAST Pro Series tournament, we are taking the next step towards rooting BLAST Pro Series deeper into the community.

RFRSH Entertainment and BLAST Pro Series have teamed up with Komodo to introduce a qualifier tournament leading up to BLAST Pro Series in Madrid on May 10-11. It will be the first BLAST tournament with qualifiers under the new seasonal structure of the tournament ending with a season finale at the end of the year.

5 local Spanish teams will compete for the chance to play live on stage in Madrid Arena against some of the best teams in the world at the BLAST Pro Series main event, which in Madrid will include Astralis, NAVI and Ninjas in Pyjamas with the last two teams yet to be announced. The five teams in the qualification tournament are all part of the Spanish national league LVP and include the number one team in the Spanish League, Movistar Riders.

Together with local partners, different qualifier formats will be tested at selected events throughout the 2019 season of BLAST Pro Series.

Jordi Roig, Executive Producer for BLAST Pro Series:

- By introducing the first ever qualifier to a BLAST Pro Series tournament, we are taking the next step towards rooting BLAST Pro Series deeper into the community. It’s important for us to be close to the players and teams, and equally important is the relationship with our host cities and local communities. Not only are we giving great Counter-Strike players a chance to present themselves on the big stage, but we are also taking steps to get even closer to the communities by engaging a deeper part of the ecosystem, Jordi Roig says and adds:

- Esports is perfect for creating a feeling of unity and being part of the community. With a BLAST Pro Series qualifier, a local team is guaranteed to face all the top teams participating and combined with BLAST Pro Series’ very balanced group stage format, you have a world-class Counter-Strike tournament, with a local angle and a ton of fan emotions invested. It adds even more to the local engagement and the general excitement in a truly competitive format, Roig sais.

A local Spanish team will soon get the chance to play on the iconic stage at BLAST Pro Series Madrid.

BLAST Qualifiers to be deeply rooted

The qualifier in Madrid is the first of many, and the ultimate goal is to have a local and regional qualification system for every BLAST event in the coming seasons.

Jordi Roig explains:

- The format in Madrid is the first which we have developed together with our partners at Komodo, and we are really excited to introduce the first version of the qualifier format in Madrid. At selected tournaments, we will be testing different qualifier formats throughout the 2019 BLAST Pro Series season to optimize the format and the local reach and engagement. We will work with our local partners in different cities to ensure the best possible format.

- With the help of our partners at Komodo and in cooperation with LVP, the project is in very good hands and we look forward to the premiere and to develop the format further to eventually include a deeper qualification pool, Jordi Roig comments.

Lots of emotions ensure when a local team takes up the fight against the best Counter-Strike teams in the world.

To find the best possible team for the challenge, LVP will use their already established league. The qualification process will be divided into an online stage and a live final. The online stage will begin on April 10 where two semi-finals will be played. The winners will play in an online final on April 17. The winner of the final will face Movistar Riders in Madrid Arena on May 10 to determine who’s through to BLAST Pro Series’ first group stage matches that same night and the main event on May 11.

Before Madrid, on April 12-13 BLAST Pro Series will be held in Miami’s Watsco and the last tournament of the spring season will take place in Los Angeles’ Galen Center on July 12-13. In total, BLAST Pro Series will host seven regular tournaments in 2019, ending in a 2019 grand final show to tie together the most ambitious year for BLAST Pro Series yet.