Guten Tag, as the locals would say. I’ve just returned from a weekend of esports action in Germany, having attended the BLAST R6 Munich Major at BMW Park, home of the Bayern Munich basketball team.
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This wasn’t my first Rainbow Six event or even my first Major, so I had high hopes for what BLAST would deliver. The event ran from 8th to 16th November, though matches were played behind closed doors from the 8th to the 13th as the 16 best teams battled for a place in the live stage from the 14th to the 16th. Thousands of fans watched live in the arena and on Twitch worldwide.
This format is standard for an R6 Major, but it does mean that if your team doesn’t reach the live stage, you won’t see them play in person. Teams like W7M, CAG Osaka and Weibo Gaming failed to make the cut.
Colosseum Combat
BMW Park is a circular arena, perfect for that colosseum vibe, but the set dressing spoiled it, with two sections blocked by a huge fake door. Guess who bought tickets right in the middle of that? Yes, me. I’d booked months earlier, and only discovered the issue when I saw a sign on entry. Cue a mad dash to the ticket office, asking four staff members for directions before finally getting our seats moved, though not as close as before.
As a basketball arena, the hall is low to the ground, but the set design ignored that. The screens showing the action forced you to look up. Fine for 20 minutes, but not for a nine-hour tournament day. Sore necks were inevitable. Even stranger, Gold and Elite ticket holders sat at the front with arguably worse views. Unsurprisingly, many took to social media to complain.
Telly Arena
It wasn’t the best arena I’ve seen at a Major for viewing, but it was easily the most innovative. The floor was covered in screens, creating stunning effects. The theme was “keep your head above water,” so as teams lost, water built up on their side until a wave washed them away. Bonus points to the BLAST tech team, who wore yellow wellies throughout.
Despite the spectacle, it felt designed more for broadcast than for attendees. The merch stand was strong at first but sold out quickly. By Friday morning at 10:15 a.m., all hoodies from medium upwards were gone. Demand was clearly underestimated.
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Food was fine but not as good as Boston for the Invitational or Manchester Major. Items sold out fast, including the mythical nachos with cheese dip. Drinks were overpriced at €5, and you couldn’t bring your own. On top of that, there was a €3 fee to “rent” a cup, which you returned for refills.
Inconsistent Rules
My fiancée’s biggest issue was bag handling. One day a medium backpack was fine, the next it wasn’t, and you had to pay €2 to store it. On the third day, small bags were allowed again. The lack of consistency was maddening. She also found the seats uncomfortable, though the MGM Music Hall had spoiled us.
For me, the most awkward thing was the English fans. Football fans have a reputation, but Siege fans gave them a run for their money. It felt like Manchester again: chanting, drinking, and messing about. Shouts of “your team’s sht,” “wnker,” and “I’d let Shaiiko s**g my wife” might pass in the UK’s “lads lads lads” culture, but surrounded by Germans staring in disbelief, it was embarrassing.
Save Our Siege
Before the final, Year 10 Season 4 was revealed. To our surprise, Joshua Mills, the game’s creative director, came on stage with a powerful message: “I’m not usually the guy who gets to talk about the cheaters, because seriously, f**k ’em.”
“I can’t stand cheaters, and I know you can’t stand them either. Cheating has no place in this game, and honestly, it has no place in any game.”
This was huge, as the #SaveSiege movement had gained momentum all week, with top players voicing support in interviews. A video followed, showing planned changes, including a Thatcher rework and new 1v1 and 2v2 modes.
The final itself saw Falcons face M80 for a share of $250,000 and qualification for next year’s Six Invitational. It was a grudge match, essentially a replay of the Manchester Major final.
Falcons were effectively BDS then, while M80 were Beastcoast, with one player and coach Fabian ‘Fabian’ Hällsten. Fabian is a legend, with wins at Six Invitational 2018, 2019 and 2023, DreamHack Winter 2018, Pro League Year 2 Seasons 1 and 2, Six Major Paris 2018, and more. They don’t call him the God Emperor for nothing.
The final was all M80. Falcons looked absent, taking only one map of the best-of-five, and even that came down to a final-round decider. Despite crowd support, Falcons failed again. This was the third final I’ve seen them underperform in. M80’s victory was huge for North America, breaking Brazil’s dominance from teams like FURIA, FaZe and W7M.
Huge Prize
It also secured M80’s place at the Six Invitational in Paris, February 2026, marking Siege’s 10th anniversary. Falcons, mostly French, will face immense pressure. A French team, in France, at the anniversary of a French-made game? Expectations couldn’t be higher.
Overall, the Munich Major had its flaws but was a great experience. Seeing the city become a hub for R6 fans was fantastic. From chatting with a Welshman, an American, a Dutchman, a Slovakian and a German in a pub, to bumping into FURIA’s João ‘Jv92’ Vitor at McDonald’s late one night and teaching him some Scottish, it was surreal.
It summed up how great Siege and its community are. Roll on Paris – ça va être un sacré moment.