BLAST Premier, the curators behind the online CS:GO tournament, BLAST Rising series, recently announced an expansion to the LATAM region. The upcoming BLAST Rising LATAM 2021 invites sixteen teams to compete for $15,000 in prize pool.
Most importantly, the move is set to bolster one of the more troubled CSGO regions back into stability, as LATAM teams finally have another local tournament to fight for.
BLAST Rising series to include LATAM candidates
The BLAST Rising series has traditionally supported the European scene and has been a great success. With its third iteration, BLAST is spicing up the competition with the inclusion of LATAM candidates.
Considering the LATAM CS:GO community is amongst the largest, gives BLAST the edge in reaching out to a vast CS:GO fanbase. Furthermore, the expansion plan also brought LATAM commentators and talents, to cater for the event. Even so, the conversation that often spark debate in the CS:GO community is whether LATAM deserves their independent regional segment. In recent times, the Americas region covers both North and South America scene under its belt.
Time to reveal the most important thing!
Here are the teams that will take part in the competition đź’Ş
Take a look at the list and decide, who are you rooting for? 🤔We start on November 30 and the groups will be announced soon 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HxvCMHFPg2
— BLAST Rising (@BLASTRising) November 26, 2021
LATAM versus other established Esports regions
LATAM, it’s infamously known for its unsustainable esports scene despite its overflowing talent. At some point, aspiring players considered migrating from their home region to play in other established regions, namely Europe.
Sure, the higher salary outside LATAM is a driving factor, but there’s concern of LATAM’s competitive gap versus other regions. The lack of prominent local rivals to scrim can often be a deterrent to LATAM’s improvement as a competitive region. The greatest example of talent are Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, Fernando “fer” Alvarenga, and Marcelo “coldzera” David all of whom departed the region at the first opportunity. Look no further than FURIA, mibr or O Plano and their former players who see their teams as springboards to move out of the region at the first opportunity.
Supporting a crippling esports region
The LATAM region expansion isn’t just another shortlived project under the BLAST Rising tournament series. Andrew Haworth, the Commissioner for BLAST Premier and Director of Operations & Production at BLAST, spoke about the expansion and benefits:
“We’ve seen in the past that when teams succeed in this event (BLAST Rising) the opportunities in BLAST Premier and other tier-one tournaments follow. We witnessed this with several teams over the last 12 months including Copenhagen Flames and Endpoint. The LATAM region has some of the most talented and passionate players in the world and we’re excited at the prospect of increasing opportunities for teams to compete and develop.”
It’s evident that the BLAST Rising series is a playing field for rising CS:GO teams to prove their strength. The financial perks can put LATAM teams in the spotlight for potential major-winning candidates You best bet that the BLAST Rising betting markets will be worth looking on November 30.