BLAST Slam eliminates Bo3 playoffs, adopts full best-of-five format

In response to community and player feedback, tournament organiser BLAST has overhauled the playoff format for its Dota 2 BLAST Slam series.

Beginning with BLAST Slam VI in Malta this coming February, the entire LAN playoff stage will be an endurance battle, as every series, from the opening quarterfinals to the grand finals, will be played in a best-of-five(Bo5) format. This shift marks an evolution for the tournament, known for its unique and cutthroat structure. Previously, only the grand final was a Bo5, with the quarterfinals and semifinals operating on a best-of-three (Bo3), single elimination basis.

While that format created high-stakes tension, it often meant that top teams' LAN journeys could last just one day. While for the teams themselves, that led to a situation where they travelled half the world for little under one hour on stage presence (see NAVI’s case at Slam V or Aurora’s at Slam IV), for the fans, the playoffs were also not entirely appealing, as there were too few matches to watch live from the arena.

BLAST Slam VI format change

The group stage and Play-ins will be played online from February 3rd to 15th. Both stages will span over three days, with 22 BO1s per day across two streams during Groups, while Play-Ins will feature 2 BO3s per day on a solo stream.

Group Stage (February 3rd to 5th, 2026)

• 12 Team Round Robin
• All macthes are best-of-one (Bo1)
• 66 matches in total
• Top 2 Teams advance to the Playoffs

Play-Ins (February 6th to 8th, 2026)

• 2 Last Chance Playoff series
• 4 Play-Ins series
• All series are best-of-three (Bo3)
• Winners of Play-Ins advance to the Playoffs

Playoffs (February 13th to 15th, 2026)

• Matches will be played on LAN at the BLAST Studios in Malta
• 2 Quarter finals (Bo5)
• 2 Semifinals (BO5)
• Grand Final (BO5)

A change resulted from feedback

BLAST stated that the decision was made in direct response to feedback from players and teams. The tournament organiser hopes the extended series will provide a more satisfying and competitive climax for those who survive the online stages, offering them a better chance to prove themselves on LAN.