Upsets and surprises define the road to the BLAST Slam VI playoffs

Over the weekend, 12 teams became six as the BLAST Slam VI Last Chance and Play-In phases came to a close, delivering some of the most unexpected storylines of the tournament so far.

Few were surprised to see REKONIX , GamerLegion, and HEROIC hovering near the bottom of the group-stage standings, but the teams that surged ahead told a very different story. The bigger shock came with OG and Natus Vincere securing direct playoff berths — two squads widely projected to sit firmly in the middle of the pack at best.

The surprises did not end there. MOUZ, a roster many participants had ranked among the tournament favorites, found themselves fighting through the elimination phase instead. Their early struggles underscored just how sharply their form has dipped since the breakthrough championship run at PGL Wallachia Season 6 late last year.

And then came the result few expected to see at all. Tundra entered the event as the safest title pick, having captured four consecutive BLAST Slam trophies and turning dominance into routine. Yet despite navigating early tournament inconsistencies, HEROIC ultimately delivered the upset that mattered most — knocking Tundra out of the race and ending a championship streak that had begun to feel permanent.

The action resumes on Friday, February 13th with Team Falcons going head-to-head with Team Liquid at 14:00 CET followed by Team Yandex taking on HEROIC.

BLAST Slam VI Playoff Teams

• Team Falcons (Invited)
• HEROIC (Invited)
• Team Yandex (Invited)
• OG (Invited)
• Team Liquid (Invited)
• Natus Vincere (Qualifier)

BLAST Slam VI Playoffs Format

Playoffs (February 13th to 15th, 2026)

Beginning with BLAST Slam VI, 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.

Matches will be played on LAN at the BLAST Studios in Malta

• 2 Quarter finals (Bo5)
• 2 Semifinals (BO5)
• Grand Final (BO5)