MIHAJA
The Deal
BLAST’s announcement highlights that the organiser has penned a multi‑year deal with GamingMalta spanning from 2025 until 2027. The agreement promises at least nine Tier 1 Counter‑Strike 2 and Dota 2 events. The first of these events will be BLAST Premier Bounty Season 2 in August.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the agreement is a new 1,000 m² broadcast studio and office on the island. BLAST lauded the studio with a promise of “creating a dedicated team and infrastructure to support content production, operations, and long-term engagement in the region.”
This partnership is a welcome announcement for Maltese stakeholders. More tier‑one LANs in three years than we’ve hosted in the last decade, plus a permanent facility on the island.
Lessons from the ESL Years
BLAST’s arrival inevitably invites comparisons to ESL’s 2020‑24 tenure. While ESL Pro League brought the best teams in the world to Malta, the actual event left many fans underwhelmed.
While the first two years were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the final three years failed to sway public perception. A Reddit thread about the first ESL crowd event in Malta back in 2022 reflected on esports journalist Richard Lewis’ comments, saying that the setup “looks like an i-series from 2012”, capturing the wider fan frustration. More recent opinion pieces slammed Pro League as “a $750,000 event played in front of a crowd comparable to DreamHack 2013” and lamented Malta’s “small venue with a small crowd claiming to be a big tournament.”
Maltese gamers were also left underwhelmed, only being allowed to watch part of the playoff bracket from the month-long tournament in person. Even more disappointing was the minimal grassroots spill-over, as aside from a few press events and meet-and-greets, there was little support.
How BLAST can be different
A quick look at the comments from the partnership announcement on HLTV shows fans bracing themselves for the worst. The top-voted comment on the article reads “basement malta games here we go again, as if disastrous epl wasnt enough”. However, gamers shouldn’t be too quick to draw their conclusions as BLAST has a history of delivering high-quality studio events.
Local gamers also have a lot to look forward to with the organiser’s announcement, reading:
BLAST will support GamingMalta’s mission by investing in local esports initiatives, forging connections with universities and grassroots organisations, and helping create meaningful career opportunities for Maltese players, content creators, and aspiring professionals within the gaming industry.
With a purpose‑built studio providing dedicated infrastructure and GamingMalta’s CEO, Ivan Filletti, highlighting “long‑term engagement”, BLAST seem poised to tackle the biggest gap ESL left behind.
Final Thoughts
BLAST’s deal is undeniably big news. For Malta’s small but passionate esports scene, it is also a fresh opportunity to continue to grow the community. We’ve learned the hard way that press releases alone don’t fill seats or develop talent. If BLAST and GamingMalta put the community at the heart of their roadmap, the next three years could finally give Maltese players and fans the world‑class stage they deserve while also delivering to the international audience.
Alex R Nomad
