“The US market is a hotbed of innovation”: Why BLAST is going all in on US esports

Since launching in 2017, Danish esports tournament organiser BLAST has cemented itself as one of the largest tournament operators in the world. After establishing itself across Counter-Strike esports, it has undergone a period of expansion into other titles such as Rainbow Six Siege.

After holding numerous events across Europe, BLAST has expanded into other markets, bringing world-class esports tournaments across Asia. On May 8th, 2025, it announced a significant expansion in the United States.

Shortly after its expansion, Esports Insider interviewed Leo Matlock, Chief Business Officer of BLAST, for additional insight into the organiser’s move stateside.

An expansion into a new market offers tournament organisers an opportunity to host events in new venues and capitalise on attracting new fan bases to watch their products. BLAST recently expanded into Fortnite and Rocket League and now, by expanding into the U.S., it has eyes on supporting new titles.

“An amazing component of esports is you can do new things in games, or in old games,” said Matlock, who is moving to BLAST’s New York City offices as part of the expansion.

“We are committed to innovating new products and forms of competitive entertainment globally, and we feel the US is a great market — we recently created and delivered the Fortnite FNCS Pro-Am in LA with Epic Games, which saw creators and personalities teaming up to compete with pros. We feel the US market is a hotbed of innovation in entertainment and this is an environment we are leaders in.”

The launch of BLAST’s New York City offices enables the organisers to collaborate closer with existing and potential partners. Matlock said the expansion will ‘accelerate’ BLAST’s its development and collaboration plans with publishers in North America.

Alongside the potential to innovate new and existing esports products, BLAST’s expansion into the United States provides a platform to collaborate with other industry stakeholders.

Alongside the organiser’s new offices, it assisted with the launch of the Global Esports Industry Week, a B2B networking event taking place alongside its Counter-Strike Major in Austin, Texas.

“There’s never been a more important time for the industry to come together,” Matlock said. “As esports continues to mature, stakeholders across publishers, teams, brands, and broadcasters are looking for clarity, connection, and collaboration.

“The Global Esports Industry Week is designed to provide exactly that —a platform to showcase innovation, align on key challenges, and forge partnerships that drive long-term growth.”

Sustainability in esports has moved to the forefront of many industry stakeholders as new parties continue entering the sector offering a range of incentives to brands and organisations looking to secure their long-term future.

“For BLAST, 2025 has been a pivotal year of global expansion aimed at driving sustainable growth in key regions like North America and Asia alongside estabilishing a stronger local presence and dedicated support in these markets,” concluded Matlock.

“That enables us to deepen community engagement, unlock new commercial opportunities and build a more resilient and future-proof business.”