Global esports league BLAST Premier has added four new Affiliate Member teams before the start of the new season, which is set to commence with the Spring Groups in Copenhagen.
Multiple teams across the world want to enter the Counter-Strike scene. Recently, it was announced that Cloud9 had bought out Evil Geniuses’ spot.
The four new Affiliate Member teams added by BLAST Premier are:
- GamerLegion
- Team Falcons
- Virtus.pro
- Team Spirit
All Affiliate Member teams get the same level of access to all BLAST Premier events, much like the Member teams.
The newly-added Affiliate Member teams will play at the BLAST Premier Spring Groups in Copenhagen in January, standing a chance to make it to the Spring Finals in London in June later this year.
The expansion means that the Spring and Fall Groups will have 16 teams, with six teams moving to the Spring and Fall Finals and the remaining ten going to the Spring and Fall Showdowns.
Andrew Haworth, Programme Director, BLAST Premier, said:
“We are excited to be expanding our pool of participating teams in the BLAST Premier circuit with four new Affiliate Member Teams. During the bidding process for Evil Geniuses’ Member slot, it became apparent there was a strong appetite to be a part of BLAST from teams across the Counter-Strike ecosystem. Virtus.pro are an organisation with a deep history in Counter-Strike and GamerLegion experienced great success at the Paris Major last year. Both Falcons and Team Spirit have made statement signings as well and we cannot wait to see all four teams debut later this month and compete across the year.“
“BLAST is always looking to innovate and enhance the BLAST Premier product for fans across the Counter-Strike space and the expansion will add four new hungry competitors, each with the chance to play on the biggest stages in esports in exciting locations across the world.“
Grant Rousseau, Global Director — Esports and EU Operations, Team Falcons, said:
“Falcons are extremely excited to be joining the BLAST Premier circuit. Competing at the best tournaments in Counter-Strike means needing to be a part of the best setups available globally, which BLAST very much provides. We look forward to working with them in the time ahead to help grow their CS ecosystem, and aim to bring home some of their trophies alongside!“
Ruslana Berest, COO, Team Spirit, said:
“Partnering with BLAST is very exciting for Team Spirit. We have always strived to play the best teams at the best tournaments, and the BLAST circuit gives us this opportunity. We are looking forward to showing our best Counter-Strike, see you at the events soon!“
Nikolai Petrossian, CEO, Virtus.pro, said:
“We are honoured to join BLAST Premier as we see it as an additional opportunity to cement Virtus.pro’s status on the global CS2 scene. This investment will allow our players to compete with the strongest opponents more frequently contributing to our team’s professional growth.“
Nicolas Reber, CEO, GamerLegion, added:
“We are delighted to have secured a position in one of the best Counter-Strike 2 leagues worldwide. The monumental triumph at the BLAST Major in Paris 2023 has served as a driving force for our team to give our best to consistently demonstrate our ability to compete and emerge victorious against the world’s top-tier teams. Our participation in BLAST Premier is a testament to our commitment to excellence, and we eagerly anticipate engaging in more high-stakes matches throughout the year.“
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