BLAST Open Porto opening matchups set

jL will debut as a stand-in for Vitality against Inner Circle in Group B.

BLAST has announced the opening matchups for the group stage of BLAST Open Porto, which will play out in the tournament organizer's studios in Copenhagen from August 26-31 and whittle 16 teams down to six before play moves to the Super Bock Arena in Porto, Portugal for the playoffs.

10 teams competing in the playoffs of Esports World Cup will head to Copenhagen shortly after playing in Paris, as will M80 , Lynn Vision , 9z , and paiN , who were all eliminated in the group stage. DENDELE and Inner Circle , who fell short in EWC's open qualifier, round out the list.

Group A features Natus Vincere , Spirit , and FURIA as primary contenders for the three playoff spots, and is headlined by an opening matchup between Aurora and G2 .

Group B will see Justinas "⁠jL⁠" Lekavicius stand in for William "⁠mezii⁠" Merriman on Vitality as the latter steps away for an event on paternity leave, with the Lithuanian's debut coming against Inner Circle .

The group also includes an opener between MOUZ and 9z , while Falcons face Lynn Vision and FUT take on Legacy .

The winner of each group will advance directly to the semi-finals, while the runner-ups and third-place teams from the lower bracket will secure spots in the quarter-finals.