BLAST Slam IX moves fully online as tournament series undergoes another change

BLAST is making another change to its Dota 2 tournament series, with BLAST SLAM IX set to be played entirely online this November.

The final BLAST SLAM event of 2026 will run from November 20–29, but unlike previous editions, there will be no LAN portion of the tournament. BLAST cited the increasingly busy end-of-year calendar and a desire to reduce teams' travel commitments as reasons for moving the competition online.

The change marks another shift for the SLAM series during 2026, after BLAST already overhauled its tournament format earlier this year.

Back in February, the organizer moved away from the unusual best-of-five-heavy format that had become one of the defining features of its early SLAM events. BLAST SLAM VII instead introduced a more traditional double-elimination playoff bracket, with best-of-three series leading into a best-of-five grand final.

The format will change again for the final two Slams of the year.

BLAST SLAM VIII and IX will expand the field from 12 to 16 teams and replace the previous best-of-one round-robin opening stage with four GSL groups, with every series played as a best-of-three.

BLAST has not indicated that the move online for SLAM IX will continue into 2027. Instead, the organizer teased that plans are already underway for something new next year, with further details expected in the coming months.

BLAST SLAM VIII

Before then, attention turns to BLAST SLAM VIII, which gets underway at the end of September.

The eighth edition will continue the series' online-to-LAN model, beginning with its online stage from September 29 to October 3 before the final six teams travel to Malta for the playoffs at the BLAST Arena Studios from October 8–11.

Regional qualifiers will be held for China, Southeast Asia and Europe, with four places at the $750,000 event on the line. Europe receives two qualifying slots, while China and Southeast Asia receive one apiece.

The Chinese closed qualifier begins today, August 29, with eight teams competing for the region's lone spot, including Team Resilience and Yakult Brothers.

BLAST SLAM IX

BLAST SLAM IX will retain the same competitive format as SLAM VIII, but will dispense with the offline finals altogether.

The ninth edition will run entirely online from November 20–29, with BLAST citing the increasingly busy end-of-year calendar and a desire to reduce travel demands on teams as reasons for the change.

Qualifiers will take place in September, with the European and Southeast Asian events running from September 9–13, followed by the Chinese qualifier from September 17–20.