The BLAST Premier World Final is almost upon us, taking place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi from December 14 to December 18, and is bound to provide some world-class CS:GO action before we head into 2023.
BLAST’s last event of the year will see eight teams going head-to-head in a bid to claim victory, and for their share of the $1,000,000 prize pool. The eight teams have all earned their spot at this month’s tournament, either through wins at previous tournaments or via their place on the BLAST Premier Leaderboard - so you can expect each of the teams to be bringing their A game to the World Final.
And so that you don’t miss out on a single moment of the last high-stakes CS:GO tournament of the year, we have everything you need to know about the BLAST Premier World Final right here.
You’ll be able to see each and every match from the World Final right here on Luckbox - be sure to sign up for your free account and claim your 100% bonus before jumping into the action!
BLAST Premier History
BLAST Premier has been running for three years now, having been first launched by RFRSH Entertainment in 2020. The event was created to replace the BLAST Pro series, which ran from 2017 to 2019 before being discontinued.
The league is primarily based in North America and Europe, with each region hosting their own Showdown events ahead of the Spring and Fall Finals. All of which ultimately culminates in the BLAST Premier World Final in December.
The tournaments are divided into two seasons: Spring and Fall, which last around four months each. Those seasons are further split up into the Group Stage, Showdown events and Season Finals, leading up to the World Final.
Natus Vincere (NAVI), who are attending this year’s World Final, have won both of the previous BLAST Premier World Finals - meaning that they’ve won every World Final since the event’s inception. All eyes will be on the Ukrainian team to see if they can repeat that impressive track record for a third time.
BLAST Premier World Final 2022 format
The World Final will kick off on December 14 with the Group Stage, which will see the eight teams competing in a double-elimination bracket. The eight teams have been divided into two groups of 4 - Group A and Group B. By the end of the Group stage, the bottom team from each group will be eliminated while the remaining six go on to the playoffs.
The matches in both the group stage and the playoffs are decided under the Bo3 (best of three) rule, and the top two teams from each group will automatically move onto the semi finals. The teams in second place from each group will move on to the high-seed quarter finals, while the teams ranked third in each group will compete in the low-seed quarter finals.
Once the Group Stage is over, the matches will continue to operate under the Bo3 rule, but will be played in a Single-Elimination bracket - meaning the loser of each match will be sent home.
BLAST Premier World Final teams
Eight teams are waiting to compete at this year’s World Final, and have been split into Groups A and B. The teams from Group A are as follows:
Team Liquid earned their spot at the World Final through their place on the BLAST Premier World Leaderboard, where they’re at 7th place with 6212.5 points. The team has had a difficult 2022, with no tournament wins to their name. However, they performed well at last month’s Fall Finals, making it all the way to the semi finals before being defeated by Heroic.
Of all the teams at the World Final, Outsiders are ranked the lowest on the BLAST Premier World Leaderboard, at 11th place. They earned their spot at this year’s World Final through their results at the IEM Rio Major, after defeating Heroic at the grand final.
FaZe Clan meanwhile are the top-ranked team on the leaderboard, with 17600 points. They earned their place at the World Final through their victories at both ESL Pro League Season 15 and PGL Major Antwerp 2022. Despite a disappointing showing at the IEM Rio Major, they came back strong during last month’s Fall Finals. They came tantalisingly close to victory, but were ultimately defeated by Heroic in the grand final.
G2 also earned their place at the World Final through their position on the BLAST Leaderboard, sitting at 5th place with 6625 points. We last saw them at the Fall Finals, where they ended up in 5th-6th place following their defeat to Heroic during the quarterfinals.
The teams in Group B are as follows:
Natus Vincere (NAVI)
Heroic are coming into the World Final after being crowned the champions of the BLAST Premier Fall Finals, following a surprise win against FaZe Clan. That alone would have earned them a spot at the World Final, but Heroic had actually already qualified for this month’s tournament prior to their victory in Copenhagen due to their strong performance in the Group Stage.
OG secured their spot at the World Final via their placement on the BLAST Leaderboard, where they’re sitting in 6th place, with 6300 points. They’re coming into the World Final after a difficult few months, having come in 7th - 8th place at the Fall Finals, and 17th - 19th place at the IEM Rio Major. Still, they’ve shown strong performances in the past, and there’s no reason to write them off just yet as they head to Abu Dhabi.
Expectations will be high for NAVI, as they’re heading into their third BLAST Premier World Final as the champions of the previous two. They’re an undeniably strong team, sitting in second place on the BLAST Leaderboard, and are absolutely not to be underestimated. Still, they arguably underperformed at the BLAST Fall Finals last month, landing in 5th - 6th place following their defeat to Ninjas in Pyjamas during the quarterfinals.
Finally, Team Vitality earned their spot at the World Final through their results at ESL Pro League Season 16, where they defeated Team Liquid in the grand final. They’re one of the highest-ranked teams on the BLAST Leaderboard too, sitting at 4th place with 8825 points.
And remember, you can follow the action live right here on Luckbox, and be sure to remember to sign up to claim your 100% bonus!
BLAST Premier Fall Finals 2022 prize pool
The eight teams are competing for their share of the $1,000,000 prize pool.
The team who makes it all the way to winning the grand final will be rewarded an enormous $500,000, while the second place runners-up will receive $250,000, while the team ranked in third will receive $85,000.
On the lower levels, the teams ranked in 5th-6th place will each receive $25,000, while the unlucky teams in 7th-8th place will receive $15,000 each.
BLAST Premier World Final schedule
The World Final will kick off on December 14, with the eight teams starting in the Group stage.
The team matchups and times are as follows
Wednesday, December 14
06:00 GMT: Outsiders (1.50) vs Team Liquid (2.40)
09:00 GMT: FaZe Clan (1.45) vs G2 Esports (2.60)
12:00 GMT: Heroic (1.32) vs OG (3.10)
15:00 GMT: Natus Vincere (1.55) vs Team Vitality (2.30)
Once the opening matches are over, we’ll have a Winners Match and an Elimination Match from each group, taking place on December 15. After that, the quarter finals will kick off on December 16, before the semi finals on December 17 - culminating in the grand final on December 18.
BLAST Premier World Final 2022 venue and tickets
The World Final is taking place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, running from December 14 to December 18.
Those looking to attend in person can pick up tickets via the BLAST Premier website, with tickets available for both December 17 and December 18.
Alternatively, you can follow along with every match in the comfort of your own home, right here on Luckbox. Remember to sign up for your free account and claim your 100% bonus before the action kicks off!
