BLAST Open Porto 2026: CS2 Brazil Derbies Aug 26

Counter-Strike 2 teams are already moving on from recent esports action, with another top-tier event kicking off soon: BLAST Open Porto. The tournament runs for about a week and a half, features 16 teams, and arrives packed with early-match storylines—including Brazil derbies to open the schedule.

Key takeaways

BLAST Open Porto starts on 26 August 2026 and runs until 6 September 2026.
Sixteen teams will play their first matches across the opening Wednesday and Thursday.
Wednesday’s slate includes four BO3s starting at 11:00, highlighted by Aurora vs G2 Esports.
Aurora and G2 meet for the third time this year, with G2 having won both prior meetings 2-0.
The total prize pool is $1,100,000, with the champion receiving $150,000 plus $100,000 in “club share.”
No Polish teams or Polish players are expected to be part of the event.

BLAST Open Porto schedule: opening-day BO3s

Wednesday, 26 August 2026 marks the start of BLAST Open Porto’s first-match phase. That day features four best-of-three series, with the earliest matchup beginning at 11:00 local time.

11:00 | Aurora vs G2 Esports — BO3
13:30 | Team Spirit vs DENDELE — BO3
16:00 | Natus Vincere vs M80 — BO3
17:30 | FURIA vs paiN Gaming — BO3

The opener, Aurora against G2 Esports, is also framed as a marquee matchup. The two squads are separated by a single place in HLTV’s world ranking, and by two places in Valve’s broader global ranking. This is already their third head-to-head of the year, and the previous record favors “samurais”: they’ve taken both prior meetings 2-0.

Big favorites and Brazil derbies to close the first day

While the first match sets a competitive tone, the following BO3s are billed with clear expectations. Potential upsets are highlighted around Team Spirit vs DENDELE and Natus Vincere vs M80, with the idea that losses for Spirit and Na’Vi would be major shocks.

The day ends with another Brazil derby: FURIA vs paiN Gaming. It will be only the second installment of this year’s matchup between the teams. Looking at recent form in a major tier-one contest context, FURIA enters as a strong favorite in their current competitive standing: during ESL Pro League Season 23 Phase 2, Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo’s lineup previously won 2-0, taking maps 6-0 and 8-0 in that phase.

Prize pool, format, and where the event is played

BLAST Open Porto 2026 runs from 26 August to 6 September and includes 16 teams. The total prize pool is $1,100,000. The winner earns $150,000, alongside an additional $100,000 via “club share.”

There is no Polish representation at the event—no Polish teams and no Polish players are set to participate. The main portion of the competition takes place in BLAST’s studio in Copenhagen, while the playoff stage is also held in Copenhagen.