South American side 9z and North American organization NRG have clinched berths at BLAST Open Rotterdam, earning spots through the open qualifiers for their respective regions. The Dutch event is scheduled to run from March 18 to March 29 and will feature sixteen teams.
The two qualifiers join Ninjas in Pyjamas and TYLOO, who earlier advanced to the Rotterdam field via regional qualification. The remaining twelve places at the sixteen-team BLAST Open will be allocated based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) reported on February 2.
9z entered the 2026 season with a significant roster overhaul, adding Luciano 'luchov' Herrera, Ignacio 'meyern' Meyer and Franco 'dgt' Garcia. The revamped lineup immediately translated into results: after navigating the open qualifier they went on to win the Ace SA Masters 2026 Season 1, the BLAST Premier Rising event for South America, to secure their Rotterdam spot.
In the Ace SA Masters final on 8 February 2026 9z defeated Sharks 2–0. The maps were Overpass (13–9) and Inferno (13–7). Along the way to the title 9z also overcame opponents including Gaimin Gladiators and Imperial to lift the regional trophy and clinch qualification for BLAST Open Rotterdam.
Key statistical performers for 9z in the final weekend included Luciano 'luchov' Herrera (33 kills, 23 deaths, ADR 97.3, KAST 76.2%, rating 1.61), Matias 'HUASOPEEK' Ibañez Hernandez (35–23, ADR 75.2, KAST 83.3%, rating 1.32), Maximiliano 'max' Gonzalez (24–21, ADR 58.2, KAST 78.6%, rating 1.14), Franco 'dgt' Garcia (20–26, ADR 61.2, KAST 71.4%, rating 1.02) and Ignacio 'meyern' Meyer (19–25, ADR 47.7, KAST 71.4%, rating 0.82).
NRG's Ace NA Masters 2026 Season 1 campaign marked their fourth outing since reintroducing AWPer Josh 'oSee' Ohm into the active roster. That change follows a busy January for the team that included two local LAN events and an appearance at IEM Kraków.
NRG progressed through the North American open qualifier with relative ease: they beat Fisher College, survived a tightly contested three-map series against Voca, and then closed out the regional final with a 2–0 win over Passion UA to secure their place in Rotterdam. The final took place on 8 February 2026, with NRG winning Nuke 13–3 and Mirage 13–7.
Standout statistical contributions for NRG in the deciding matches came from Nick 'nitr0' Cannella (30 kills, 18 deaths, ADR 82.0, KAST 83.3%, rating 1.60), Alexander 'br0' Bro (33–16, ADR 81.9, KAST 80.6%, rating 1.46), Josh 'oSee' Ohm (32–18, ADR 89.2, KAST 75.0%, rating 1.41), Aran 'Sonic' Groesbeek (33–21, ADR 96.8, KAST 80.6%, rating 1.34) and Jeorge Endicott (22–26, ADR 78.8, KAST 86.1%, rating 1.12).
With these victories 9z and NRG join the Rotterdam line-up and will follow their respective regional successes with participation at BLAST Open Rotterdam in March. Both organizations will also be preparing for additional competitive commitments around that time, making their qualification an important milestone for early 2026.