The BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Closed Qualifier starts today, with several teams making their first S-tier appearance in new colors.

OG vs FUT Esports

OG are currently in the “figuring it out” phase, and that’s hard to ignore with cadiaN now calling the shots. I won’t deny the leadership and experience he brings to the table, but with FL4MUS also joining on loan from Virtus.pro, I’m not expecting much from this lineup in their first S-tier tournament together.

FUT on the other hand, come with a bit less spotlight, but also fewer “new pieces”. They’re playing together longer and their system is familiar to them, and that alone can bring them on top this early in the tournament. Their recent performances in A and B tier tournaments have been great, and I expect they continue their win-streak here. OG might have the names, but FUT has cohesion.

Prediction: FUT wins 2-1.

FaZe vs EYEBALLERS

We don’t really need to overthink this one. FaZe are looking good lately, and coming off a Major finals run, I don’t think they’ll really need to reach for anything special to get through a Bo3 series like this one.

EYEBALLERS will have to go chaos mode to at least stay competitive. They can steal rounds, maybe even create an awkward half if FaZe starts clunky and underestimate them, but the experience and firepower gap is too big to ignore. If FaZe plays their normal game, EYEBALLERS won’t get much breathing space.

Prediction: Controlled and clean, FaZe 2-0.

Fnatic vs Astralis

This matchup is defined by changes on both sides, but in very different ways. Astralis are entering their first S-tier tournament without device and Magisk, which means they’re bound to change how they approach the game, and I feel like it’s more about creating a baseline than making any immediate statements. Replacing them was never going to be easy, but let’s not write off ryu and phzy before they’ve even had a proper shot, especially against a shaky fnatic.

Fnatic are adjusting to life after blameF. Losing their most consistent player should completely change the way they win rounds. With maden taking his place, I expect a more collective approach – less leaning on one player to bail them, and more emphasis on pace and initiative. It can lead to inconsistencies, but it will make them awkward to play against.

Neither side is finished product, and it feels like a series decided by who adapts better to the roster swaps.

Prediction: fnatic 2-1 in a messy game.

HOTU vs Aurora

Aurora has the better names and the higher expectations, but it’s their first event with Soulfly in the mix. They’ve been more consistent against higher-level teams, while HOTU is looking like a scrappy mix, often making things messy and forcing teams to make calls a lot earlier in rounds than they prefer.

This one could get interesting over a full best-of-three series. Aurora has the experience and map depth, but HOTU’s high-risk, high-reward approach can easily shake Aurora off their feet.

Prediction: Aurora 2-0, but HOTU will make them work for it.