All top 12 teams from HLTV’s world rankings are competing after receiving direct invitations, while FURIA and regional underdogs M80, Imperial, and The Huns secured their spots through the BLAST Rising qualifiers. Astralis also made it through the same route. Due to seeding based on an older version of Valve’s rankings, Spirit and back-to-back champions Vitality find themselves in a particularly tough Group A.
The format of the tournament mirrors IEM Katowice and Cologne, featuring two groups of eight teams in a double-elimination bracket. Three teams from each group will move on to the playoffs, with upper bracket winners going straight to the semi-finals, while two more from each group will qualify through the lower bracket. All matches will be best-of-three, except for the grand final, which will be a best-of-five.
The group stage follows a rolling schedule with four matches per day, starting at 16:00 CET. Playoffs will take place from March 28-30, with the grand final set for Sunday at 20:30 CET. Here are the opening matches:
The tournament offers a total prize pool of $400,000, with the winner taking home $150,000 and three Frequent Flyer tokens, while the runner-up secures $60,000 and one token. Prize money decreases from there, with 13th-16th place earning $5,000 each. Unlike ESL and PGL, which use a club-share model to boost their prize pools to $1 million, BLAST sticks to a traditional distribution method. However, teams will still receive participation fees and benefit from the $2.5 million annual Frequent Flyers program.
The broadcast lineup features top-tier talent, including Nathan "NBK-" Schmitt as the desk’s ex-pro alongside Jacob "Pimp" Winneche, Alex "Mauisnake" Ellenberg, and returning YouTuber Donald "voo" Parkhurst. Commentators Alex "Machine" Richardson and Chad "SPUNJ" Burchill will also be on board, bringing their signature energy.
Can you really win actual money playing CS2 slots? Short answer: yes. Long answer? It depends on where you play, how you manage your bets, and how lucky you are. In 2025, a growing number of CS2-themed gambling platforms offer slot games that not only look amazing but also offer real cash or skin payouts.
In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what CS2 slots are, how they work, the top platforms to play on, strategies to boost your chances, and how to safely cash out your winnings. Let’s get you spinning for real.
![How Many People Are Playing CS2? - CS2 Player Count in [year]?](/imgs/news_7993/20241030/cache/1730281283_68968b479860b306b3db___308_174.jpg "How Many People Are Playing CS2? - CS2 Player Count in [year]?")
![Complete List of CS2 Viewmodel Commands – Optimize Your Setup in [year]](/imgs/news_8166/20250317/cache/1742228858_01423ecd06a0b619da09___308_174.jpg "Complete List of CS2 Viewmodel Commands – Optimize Your Setup in [year]")