BLAST R6 May Major 2026: Schedule, Teams, and How to Watch

With the 2026 season of Rainbow Six esports officially underway, teams from four regions are gearing up to earn their spot at the BLAST R6 May Major in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The event follows in the wake of Six Invitational 2026, and the best teams across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, and Europe/MENA will brawl it out in each region’s Kickoff Stage for their tickets to Utah. 

Each league runs its own bespoke Kickoff format, and the top performers earn direct entry into the Major. Think of it as the season’s first serious test of who came in prepared and who didn’t. 

Quick Info: BLAST R6 May Major 2026

• Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

• Start Date: May 8th to 17th, 2026 (Kickoff events start in March)

• Regions: North America (NAL), South America (SAL), Europe/MENA (EML), and Asia Pacific (APL)

Asia Pacific League (APL): Kickoff

The APL Kickoff features a Double Elimination bracket with random seeding. Part of the unique formats. Competition is split into three sub-regions, each offering a pathway to the Salt Lake City Major.

Oceania (OCE) Schedule

Oceania matches take place every Sunday from March 29 through April 26. The winner of the Grand Final secures the lone OCE Major spot.

Asia Schedule

Asia’s matches run every Saturday until April 25. High stakes: both finalists in the Asia Kickoff qualify for the Major.

Japan APL North Schedule

APL North kicks off every Friday until April 24. Only the Grand Final winner will advance to Utah.

APL Prize Pool & SI Points (Per Sub-Region)

Teams aren’t just playing for Major slots; they are fighting for a share of the regional prize pool and critical Six Invitational (SI) Points.

• 1st Place: $4,500 + 240 SI Points

• 2nd Place: $3,000 + 175 SI Points

• 3rd Place: $2,500 + 140 SI Points

• 4th Place: $1,500 + 115 SI Points

• 5th–6th Place: $1,100 + 80–100 SI Points

• 7th–8th Place: $650 + 40–60 SI Points

North America League (NAL) Kickoff

Ten of the world’s best teams compete in two groups. The top 4 from the playoffs qualify for the Salt Lake City Major. North America has also been one of the busiest regions for transfers in the off-season.

Group A vs. Group B

• Group A: 100 Thieves, Shopify Rebellion, M80, Five Fears, Footlockers Finest.

• Group B: Spacestation Gaming, DarkZero Esports, Wildcard Gaming, Cloud9, InControlGG.

NAL Group Stage Schedule

Playoff Alert: Playoffs run April 1 – 10. All matches are Bo3. The four finalists (Upper and Lower) book their Major berths.

South America League (SAL) Kickoff

The SAL follows the same structure as the NAL, featuring Brazilian powerhouses and rising stars.

SAL Group Draw

• Group A: FaZe Clan, Team Liquid, Black Dragons (BD), LOS, Imperial Esports.

• Group B: Fluxo w7m, LOUD, FURIA, Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP), INTZ.

Key SAL Matchups

SAL Playoffs: April 12, 14, 18, and 19.

Europe/MENA League (EML) Kickoff

Europe offers a deep talent pool with a high-stakes group stage format from March 30 to April 8.

EML Groups

• Group A: G2 Esports, Virtus.pro, Fnatic, Shifters, Giggioletti.

• Group B: Team Secret, Team Falcons, Geekay Esports, Twisted Minds, Ex-Team Secret ACA.

EML Playoff Schedule

Playoffs take place from April 13 to April 17.

• Time Slots: 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, and 20:00 ET.

• Format: Bo3. Top 4 teams qualify for the BLAST R6 May Major.

Prize Pool & SI Points (NAL, SAL, EML)

Winning isn’t just about the trophy—it’s about the road to the Six Invitational.

How to Watch the R6 May major

All BLAST R6 Kickoff 2026 matches will be broadcast live on the official Rainbow Six Twitch channels, which are broadcast in multiple languages around the world: 

• English
• Japan
• Brazil
• France

With the Six Invitational 2026 barely a month ago, we’re already starting to fire up the 2026-2027 season, with Siege set to have a big push once again.