Mongolia is getting its first top-tier Counter-Strike tournament after BLAST Premier has confirmed the BLAST Premier Open Ulaanbaatar, a $1,250,000 event scheduled to run from May 10 to 23, 2027 in Mongolia's capital city. Sixteen teams will compete live in front of what promises to be one of the most energetic home crowds in competitive CS2, with local fans finally able to watch games at a respectable time.
BLAST shared the news on social media: "Now this one is going to be incredible… We're pleased to announce that we're heading to Mongolia next May for the BLAST Premier Open Ulaanbaatar!"
Now this one is going to be incredible… 😍
— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) July 14, 2026
We're pleased to announce that we're heading to Mongolia next May for the BLAST Premier Open Ulaanbaatar! 🇲🇳
📰 https://t.co/roFQtYl2Eh#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/XYhEdA2nHh
How the $1.25 million breaks down
The total prize pool is divided into two parts. Teams will split $500,000 based on their finishing positions, while the remaining $750,000 is distributed as team payments regardless of placement. On top of that, BLAST has introduced a separate "Acceptance Fee" model, which provides participating teams with additional financial support simply for showing up and competing.
How teams qualify
Eleven of the 16 spots are filled via direct invitations through Valve's Global VRS rankings. The other five spots are earned via regional qualifiers across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. Each continent gets one qualifying berth but, because the event is hosted in Ulaanbaatar, Asia gets a second slot, giving the region two paths into the tournament.
And while BLAST had a smaller footprint in Mongolia before, running a qualifying event connected to BLAST Open London in 2025. Ulaanbaatar, it’s the first time they’ve held a complete tournament held in the country.
Why Mongolia, and why now
So why Mongolia, especially when Mongolian side The MongolZ seemingly reached their peak last year? The decision to bring a premier event to Ulaanbaatar is more calculated than it might look. Mongolia, indeed, has developed a fast-growing Counter-Strike fanbase over the past several years, with BLAST calling the country's supporters "some of the most dedicated in the world, filling arenas to watch tournaments thousands of miles away at the early hours of the morning."
That reputation was cemented at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where The Mongolz lost to Team Vitality in the grand final, a game watched by thousands of fans at Sükhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar at 4am local time, giving the CS2 scene an image that lodged itself in the collective memory for life.
Mongolia showed up that time. Hard. But can they show up again?
BLAST certainly thinks so. "By taking BLAST Premier to Ulaanbaatar for the first time, BLAST will give local supporters the chance to see the world's best compete on home soil while showcasing Mongolia and its Counter-Strike culture to a global broadcast audience."
Where this fits in BLAST's 2027 schedule
Ulaanbaatar is one of a few new stops on BLAST's 2027 calendar, as the organization continues to explore cities we don’t usually associate with major esports events. The confirmed 2027 BLAST schedule currently looks like this:
| Event | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| BLAST Bounty Season 1 | Malta | Jan 11–24 |
| BLAST Open Singapore | Singapore | Mar 15–28 |
| BLAST Open Ulaanbaatar | Mongolia | May 10–23 |
| BLAST Bounty Season 2 | TBD | Aug 30–Sep 12 |
| BLAST Open Rio | Brazil | Oct 4–17 |
| BLAST Rivals | TBD | Nov 8–14 |
Hong Kong is also listed among confirmed 2027 destinations, with full details still to be revealed.
This expansion push fits a broader pattern in competitive Counter-Strike, where top-tier organizers are increasingly targeting regions outside the traditional European and North American strongholds, a shift driven by real audience data rather than speculation about untapped markets.
What's next
The Mongolz themselves add an interesting subplot heading into 2027. The roster has been going through changes, with recent lineup moves drawing discussion about who will represent Mongolia when the tournament arrives on home soil. Whether the team can field a competitive lineup in time to qualify remains one of the more compelling storylines building toward May.
More details on the qualifier format, specific scheduling, and the full invited team list are expected closer to the event. For now, the Mongolian Counter-Strike scene gets what it's been building toward: a top-flight tournament at home, in front of fans who – for once – don't need to stay up until 4am to watch and head to work bleary-eyed the next day. Major win.
