The BLAST Bounty 2026 S2 Finals are set to officially kick off in Malta on July 30 at 21:00 Beijing Time! After two rounds of online BO3 eliminations, only 8 of the original 32 teams have advanced to the LAN finals. Championship favorites like Vitality, Falcons, FURIA, and G2 were successively upset, leaving Spirit as the only pre-tournament top-10 VRS team in the quarterfinals and making this year's championship outcome highly unpredictable. Let's take a look at the key storylines for the four quarterfinal matchups~
7.30 21:00 Liquid VS Spirit
donk, who just broke his personal single-map Rating record (2.84)
This is the quarterfinal matchup with the largest disparity in on-paper strength, yet also the one that cannot be underestimated. With JT taking over shot-calling duties and 17-year-old Jorko officially stepping up as the primary AWPer, the "New Liquid" delivered a near-perfect performance during the online stage: they consecutively swept Vitality and G2 2-0, securing their ticket to Malta without dropping a single map. Across these two series, Jorko posted an average Rating of 1.29, and the aggressive duo he formed with EliGE provided Liquid with the much-needed offensive edge they had severely lacked over the past season.
However, in this match they face Spirit, the undisputed top favorite to win this tournament. Although Spirit was dragged into a double-overtime decider map by OG in the opening online round and were not at their peak form, they responded in their subsequent match against 100T, where donk posted a 2.84 Rating on the Dust2 decider to lead his team to a 13-0 shutout. As JT revitalizes Liquid through discipline and role balance, how much longer can their dark horse story continue when facing a Spirit squad boasting three major firepower threats in donk, sh1ro, and tN1R?
7.31 00:00 3DMAX VS MOUZ
Press Release: MOUZ's New Rifler
Between MOUZ and Spirit, 3DMAX proactively chose MOUZ, who had just completed a roster change. French team coach wasiNk stated openly at the draw ceremony that they had hoped to face MOUZ since the first day of the tournament. Compared to Spirit, whose individual prowess is exceptionally formidable, MOUZ is still in the adjustment phase of roster reconstruction and in-game leadership transition. The map pool matchup between the two sides also better aligns with 3DMAX's expectations.
During the online stage, 3DMAX first battled through a three-map series to defeat magic, then eliminated FUT 2-0. New signings Kursy and misutaaa successively stepped up to carry the fragging load, demonstrating the strong resilience of this French roster. Meanwhile, MOUZ has gone undefeated without dropping a single map across two matches since PR's arrival, but new IGL xertioN still needs to balance his individual performance with in-game calling, while PR continues to adapt to a more passive defensive role.
On one side is the well-prepared French veteran core that actively "called out" their opponent, and on the other is MOUZ, whose players boast higher talent but are still building a new system. If 3DMAX can drag the match into a familiar, slow-paced mid-to-late game, it likely won't be as easy for the "Mice" to secure a straightforward victory as it seems on paper.
7.31 20:30 FaZe VS The MongolZ
FaZe's new roster, eliminated in the semifinals at XPL
After missing the Cologne Major, FaZe finally has a chance to prove themselves once again. With JBOEN joining the roster and Twistzz continuing as the in-game leader, FaZe's recent competitive form has improved. They not only reached the semifinals at XPL but also successfully secured a ticket to Malta by clearing two online qualifiers. Against DENDELE, JBOEN posted an astonishing 19-1 K/D record on Nuke, while jcobbb delivered the standout performance of the match with a 1.40 rating.
By actively choosing Mongolia in the draw, FaZe not only secured an extra day of preparation, but the closely matched VRS rankings between the two sides also make this match particularly crucial. However, Mongolia has also pulled off a "roster change as sharp as a new blade": in their first tournament since adding young players tikuak and DarkMeister, they successively defeated HEROIC and Wildcard, successfully advancing to the LAN top 8. The fearless and aggressive playstyle of these two rookies has brought even more unpredictable offensive variations to the Mongolian cavalry.
It should be noted that Mongolian coach maaRaa will be absent from this grand finals and can only assist the team remotely. Without a coach on-site to make timely adjustments, and with two rookies competing in a premier LAN tournament for the first time, whether The MongolZ can withstand FaZe's in-game targeting will be the biggest question. Will Twistzz lead the new galactic warship gradually back on track, or will the Mongolian cavalry once again breach the defenses with their devastating gunplay?
7.31 23:30 paiN VS Astralis
saffee, who continues to serve as paiN's main AWPer in the new season
As the first team to pick an opponent in the quarterfinals draw, paiN ultimately chose Astralis. biguzera's reasoning was straightforward: Astralis has frequently opted to play Ancient recently, while paiN always bans the map, allowing them to neutralize one of their opponent's strongest maps during the map veto phase. Coupled with paiN's victory in their previous encounter, the Brazilians clearly considered them the most favorable opponent among the four higher-seeded teams.
After a period of slump and dropping to around 30th in the VRS rankings, paiN finally regained their familiar defensive intensity by eliminating NiP 2-0 in the online qualifier. vsm and saffee posted Ratings of 1.40 and 1.32 respectively, with saffee's AWP performance in the second half and overtime on Mirage proving crucial to the team's comeback.
As for Astralis, this tournament will mark their first offline appearance since NEO took over as coach. The Danish stars' path through the online stage was far from easy; they initially dropped a map against Nemesis in the opening round, followed by a grueling match against HOTU that went to the deciding map, Ancient, before they narrowly advanced. They are capable of delivering a crushing 13-1 victory on Cache, yet can suddenly lose their footing on their own Nuke pick, with their inconsistent form remaining highly evident. The outcome of this match will likely be decided as early as the map veto phase: will biguzera's targeted picks prove effective, or will NEO and HooXi have counter-strategies prepared in advance?
The BLAST Bounty S2 champion team from a year ago — Spirit
That concludes the full preview of all four quarterfinal matchups at the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2 Finals! On paper, Spirit, featuring donk and sh1ro, is undoubtedly the top favorite to win the championship, while MOUZ, whose roster is gradually gelling, also possesses the strength to contend for the title.
However, during the online stage, the upsets suffered by favorite teams like Vitality and Falcons have already proven with concrete results: under the dual pressure of single-elimination and the bounty system, there has never been such a thing as a "guaranteed win" in this tournament. Will Spirit maintain their dominance, will FaZe and MOUZ return to title contention, or will dark horses like Liquid and 3DMAX continue to pull off upsets all the way? Let's wait and see!