BLAST Slam VIII: Schedule, Standings, Results

BLAST Slam VIII is the eighth event in the BLAST Slam Dota 2 series, taking place from September 29 to October 11, 2026, with the online stage followed by LAN Finals at BLAST Arena Studios in Malta. The first week of the tournament will be played online, while the decisive six-team playoff stage will take place on LAN from October 8 to 11. The total prize pool for the championship is $750,000. BLAST Slam VIII will feature sixteen teams, expanding the field from twelve participants in the previous edition. The lineup consists of eleven direct invites, one Americas direct invite, and four teams from regional qualifiers: two from Europe, one from China, and one from Southeast Asia.

The tournament format has also been significantly updated. During the first week, the sixteen teams will be divided into four GSL groups of four teams, with all matches played in Bo3 format. The winners of each group will advance to the Seeding Matches, where the two winners will secure direct spots in the Upper Bracket Semifinals of the LAN stage, while the two losing teams will move to the Quarterfinals. The four second-place teams will enter the Last Chance stage, with the two winners claiming the remaining Quarterfinal spots. The other teams will be eliminated.

The final six teams will then compete in a Double Elimination playoff bracket at BLAST Arena Studios in Malta. The top two seeds will start from the Upper Bracket Semifinals, while the remaining four teams will begin in the Quarterfinals. All playoff matches except the Grand Final will be played in Bo3, with the championship match being a Bo5.

As a result, BLAST Slam VIII is set to become one of the major events of the autumn portion of the 2026 Dota 2 season, featuring an expanded sixteen-team field, a revamped online stage built entirely around Bo3 series, and a four-day LAN finale in Malta.

BLAST BLAST Slam VIII

• Group Stage (September 29 - October 2)

  • Four GSL groups of four teams

  • All series are Bo3

  • 1st placed team from each group advance to Seeding Matches

  • 2nd placed team from each group advance to Last Chance Stage

  • Remaining teams are eliminated

• Seeding Matches (October 3)

  • All matches are Bo3

  • Winner advance to Semifinals

  • Loser advance to Quarterfinals

• Last Chance (October 3)

  • All matches are Bo3

  • Winner advance to Quarterfinals

  • Loser is eliminated

• Playoffs (October 8 - October 11)

  • Double-elimination bracket

  • Grand Final is Bo5, all other matches are Bo3

Participants

BLAST Slam VIII: Group Stage Standings

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

BLAST Slam VIII: Group Stage Schedule and Results

September 29, 2026

September 30, 2026

October 1, 2026

October 2, 2026

BLAST Slam VIII: Seeding Matches bracket

BLAST Slam VIII: Seeding Matches Schedule and Results

October 3, 2026

BLAST Slam VIII: Last Chance Qualifier bracket

BLAST Slam VIII: Last Chance Qualifier Schedule and Results

October 3, 2026

BLAST Slam VIII: Playoffs bracket

BLAST Slam VIII: Playoffs Schedule and Results

October 8, 2026

October 9, 2026

October 10, 2026

October 11, 2026

BLAST Slam VIII Prize Pool

$750,000 USD ($550,000 USD are awarded as Prize Money while $200,000 USD are awarded as Team Earnings) are spread among the participants as seen below:

BLAST Slam VIII Streams

Primary

Secondary