Esports tournament promises “an immersive live broadcast unlike anything done before”.
Global esports network Blast is adapting its forthcoming Premier Spring Showdown and Spring Final events to be played remotely, in response to the coronavirus crisis. The events, which are both scheduled for June, were previously due to be held live in stadiums in front of a sizeable audience.
Rather than being too disheartened after having to change plans, Blast says its remote production will “be an immersive live broadcast unlike anything done before. We want to ensure the Blast experience remains the premier experience in esports.”
The competitions will see 130 hours of broadcast and gameplay, with the focus both on the gameplay and the emotional moments, sporting rivalries and stories as the teams play to be the Spring Final champion.
The prize pool will remain the same, with the Premier Spring Showdown’s prize pool amounting to US$325,000 across two competitions, in the Americas and Europe. The Spring Final’s total prize pool is US$750,000.
Nicolas Estrup, director of product and experience, Blast, says: “Despite current events, we are committed to entertaining the millions of Counter-Strike fans around the world, even if that means taking our tournament out of a big arena and into an online world. We feel confident that our revamped take on what a Counter-Strike event can be – breaking down that physical barrier, creating a sense of community and bringing us all together in a new and exciting way around the game that we all love – will be a welcomed addition to the entertainment and esports world.”
Leading up to the online tournaments, Blast will live stream a series of ‘Blast Sessions’ (see box below’)
To find out more about Blast Premier, visit BLASTPremier.com
The Blast Sessions
Wednesdays, 10-1130am CEST: Weekly Workout – James Banks hosts a weekly workout from his home, talking through how performance impacts esports stars and what to do to improve. He’ll be joined by special guests with fans joining in from home too.
Thursdays, 9pm CEST: Hot Seat – Launders sits down for a virtual 1on1 chat with a pro player or special guest from the world of CS:GO. Find out what makes these players tick; their motivations, their fears, how they prepare and what the future holds for them.
Fridays 12pm & 10pm CEST: BLAST Greats – Analysts Pimp and Launders will be joined by a pro player to go through a previous match from BLAST that the player competed in, giving incredible insights into the closed-off world of a pro team.
Saturdays, 4pm CEST: Making the Cast – Launders and Scrawny bring some of the best casts ever from BLAST to the table, as they dissect various matches and casts by them and colleagues to highlight what makes a caster and a cast incredible.
Sundays, 4-6pm CEST: Mystery Wingmen – James Banks hosts a 2v2 on a map of his choice with four mystery VIP players. Some of the best in the world are fighting it out, but who are they? Watch the greats of CS:GO as they anonymously compete live, leaving you, the casters and the fans, to guess who.
Mondays, 8pm CEST: The Clinic – Frankie Ward leads a panel of guests that allows fans to get closer to the players than ever before. Getting the answers the fans really want, this is as up close and personal as you can get.
Tuesdays, 9pm CEST: Counter Crafting – Scrawny invites a special guest into his wonderful world of Minecraft. As a casual hang and play, they roam around to gather resources and build the city of BLASTropolis in the game while talking about everything and nothing. Once the show season is over, we open the world for fans to go and enjoy the odd creations.