Tournament organizer RLG has announced the teams invited to the European closed qualifier for BLAST Open Porto 2026 in Counter-Strike 2. Among the eight teams competing for a single spot at the main event are two Ukrainian squads – B8 and Inner Circle.

Joining the Ukrainian representatives in the qualifier are Ninjas in Pyjamas, Virtus.pro, GenOne, Magic, EA Copenhagen, and Sangrija. With only one qualification spot available, the competition is expected to be fierce, featuring a mix of established organizations and rising teams looking to make their mark on the international stage.

The European closed qualifier will take place from July 9 to July 11. At the end of the competition, only one team will secure a place at BLAST Open Porto 2026, one of the premier Counter-Strike 2 events of the second half of the season.

For B8, the qualifier presents another opportunity to strengthen its position among Europe’s top CS2 teams following a series of consistent performances in recent months. Meanwhile, Inner Circle will be aiming to capitalize on the opportunity and earn a chance to compete against some of the world’s best teams on one of the biggest stages in competitive Counter-Strike.

BLAST Open Porto 2026 is expected to be one of the most important international CS2 tournaments of the summer and autumn calendar, with the closed qualifiers traditionally regarded as one of the toughest stages due to the depth of competition.