The Dota 2 BLAST Bounty Hunt will shake up the classic event format in early to mid-June.
BLAST is an organizer we’ve usually seen in CS:GO events but now it’s time for their first try at competitive Dota 2. Bounty Hunt is the event in question and it’s scheduled to take place between June 8-13. As you might have guessed, it’s going to be an online tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nevertheless, Dota 2 fans in Europe may look forward to a month from now as things will be interesting. BLAST even made a separate Twitter account to make the announcement.
Hello, World. #BLASTDota pic.twitter.com/QVLMlE8GDt
— BLAST Dota (@BLASTDota) May 4, 2020
The teams
A total of six teams will take part in the Bounty Hunt and they’re all the top performers for Europe:
- Alliance
- Nigma
- Ninjas in Pyjamas
- OG
- Team Secret
- Team Liquid
Despite the low number of teams, with TI-winners, ex-TI-winners, and some of the best the region has to offer, it’ll be an intense event.
Format/Prize
Now, this is where things get really interesting. It seems that BLAST is not afraid to experiment in terms of format. The total prize pool for the participating teams stands at $145,000. In case this number seems a bit off, it’s because the last $5000 will be for the viewers, but we’ll get to that.
The six teams will seed each other and play in a double-elimination bracket to give us the final two. Seeds 3-6 will playoff with the winners moving on to play seeds 1-2 for a place in the final.
- READ MORE: The Dota 2 International postponed
Dynamic Prize Pool
Each team will start with $15,000 (seeds 1-2 with $20,000), with 40% of that being up for grabs every time they play against another squad. The remaining $45,000 will be rewarded along the way to the top. According to the official BLAST page:
A winning team with an unbeaten record could walk away with up to $51,120 plus with additional bounties won, teams can be winning up to $96,000.
Fan Predictions
Some of the additional bounties will be chosen by a fan vote in which everyone can participate. One of the lucky fans will have their name added to the bounty name. BLAST will reveal more details about the nature of in-game bounties in the weeks to follow.
The fans will be able to predict the outcome of games and earn up to $5000.
Fans will be able to predict the winners of each match, the number of bounties collected and a couple of exciting other twists and turns throughout the tournament. This new innovation brings the fans even closer to the action, highs and lows and gives the winner cold hard cash.
Bounty Hunt reminds us of Midas Mode but with some of the complexity being toned down. BLAST’s entry into the Dota 2 esports scene is a welcome one as their CS:GO tournaments are some of the best. Their idea to make something different is somewhat risky but it also seems really fun and it’ll definitely help them to stand out. The event will be broadcasted on both Twitch and YouTube.
If you love Dota 2 like us, check out our Life and Times series on the best in the world of esports:
- READ MORE: The life and times of Topson – Part 1
Stay tuned for more updates surrounding BLAST Dota 2 Bounty Hunt. For more Dota 2 news, make sure to stay with EarlyGame.
