Overview of Riyadh Masters
Riyadh Masters is the central Dota 2 tournament of the summer of 2024 and one of the most important events in the competitive Dota 2 scene. The championship will be the third in the Riyadh Masters series, which began in 2022. Riyadh Masters 2024 has become a highly anticipated tournament for professionals due to its substantial prize pool of $5,000,000. This prize pool makes it the most lucrative tournament in the ESL Pro Tour series.
What is Riyadh Masters?
The Riyadh Masters tournament is part of and the culmination of the ESL Pro Tour series, which, after the disappearance of the DPC system, has become the central benchmark in the world of Dota 2 and is crucial for direct invitations to The International. The Riyadh Masters is organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation (with the support of the Saudi Arabian Esports Federation) and ESL Gaming.
Importance of Riyadh Masters in Dota 2
The importance of Riyadh Masters cannot be overstated, as it is a recurring tournament taking place for the third time in 2024. Additionally, it is a LAN tournament with a huge prize pool, which in 2023 surpassed that of The International. Lastly, Riyadh Masters allows participants to earn Esports World Cup points, which can later translate into additional millions for the club.
History of Riyadh Masters
The Riyadh Masters tournament series began in 2022. Back then, Riyadh Masters was part of the Gamers Without Borders ecosystem. The first tournament was held in Riyadh at Boulevard Riyadh City. The debut championship proved successful and subsequently became an integral part of competitive Dota 2. In 2023, Riyadh Masters 2023 (with a prize pool of $15,000,000) outshone The International 2023 (with a prize pool of $3,380,000) in terms of prize money and was covered on all major esports platforms, including egamersworld Dota 2 and other sites.
Previous winners and prize pools
Discussing the history of the Riyadh Masters series tournaments, it's essential to highlight the main aspects of past tournaments, namely the champions and their prize pools. Here’s what we had in 2022 and 2023.
Tournament | Prize Pool | Winner |
Riyadh Masters 2022 | 4,000,000 | PSG.LDG (Ame, NTS, Faith_bian, XinQ, y`) |
Riyadh Masters 2023 | 15,000,000 | Team Spirit (Yatoro, Larl, Collapse, Mira, Miposhka) |
Format and Rules of Riyadh Masters 2024**
Overall, Riyadh Masters 2024 is a classic LAN tournament with all the associated elements. The foundation is built on the principles of fair play, as outlined in the ESL rulebook and beyond.
However, we are more interested in the format of Riyadh Masters 2024, which has its unique features. Let's dive into the details.
Tournament Format
Riyadh Masters 2024 is a significant championship not only due to its large prize pool but also because of its "extended" format. The championship is divided into three stages: Play-In, Group Stage, and Playoffs.
- Play-In (July 4 - July 7): 2 groups of six teams each. Single Round-Robin, bo2 matches. Three teams from each group advance to the group stage. Teams in 4th and 5th place will compete; winners advance to the group stage, losers are eliminated.
- Group Stage (July 10 - July 14): 2 groups of eight teams each. Single Round-Robin, bo2 matches. Top 4 from each group advance to the upper bracket of the playoffs. 5th and 6th place teams from each group advance to the lower bracket of the playoffs. Remaining teams are eliminated.
- Playoffs (July 16 - July 21): Double-Elimination bracket. All matches except the Grand Final are bo3. Grand Final is bo5.
Overall, the extended format helps to more accurately determine the strength of the teams and minimize the element of randomness.
Participating Teams and Players
At Riyadh Masters 2024, 20 teams from 7 competitive regions will participate. Here are the teams and the stage they will start from.
Team Falcons | skiter, Malr1ne, ATF, Cr1t, Sneyking | Group Stage |
BB Team | Nightfall, gpk, MieRo, Save, TORONTOTOKYO | Group Stage |
Gaimin Gladiators | Dyrachyo, Quinn, Ace, tOfu, Seleri | Group Stage |
Xtreme Gaming | Ame, Xm, Xxs, XinQ, Dy | Group Stage |
Tundra Esports | Pure, Topson, RAMZES666, 9Class, Whitemon | Group Stage |
Team Liquid | miCKe, Nisha, 33, Boxi, Insania | Group Stage |
OG | Timado, bzm, Wisper, Ari, Ceb | Group Stage |
Team Spirit | Yatoro, Larl, Collapse, Mira, Miposhka | Group Stage |
Entity | watson, No[o]ne, DM, Kataomi, Fishman | Play-In |
MOUZ | Ulnit, Supream, Force, NARMAN, Bengan. | Play-In |
Vp | Kiritych, squad1x, Noticed, Antares, FNG | Play-In |
PSG Quest | TA2000, No!ob, Malik, OmaR, Dukalis | Play-In |
G2.IG | Monet, NTS, JT, BoBoka, xNova | Play-In |
LDG Gaming | Shiro, Echo, niu, Pyw, y` | Play-In |
Azure Ray | Lou, Ori, Faith_bian, fy, 天命 | Play-In |
Aurora | 23, Lorenof, Jabz, Q, Oli | Play-In |
Blacklist International | Natsumi, Abed, Gabbi, TIMS, Jaunuel. | Play-In |
Nouns | Yuma, Copy, Gunnar, Lelis, Fly | Play-In |
HEROIC | K1, 4nalog, Davai Lama, Scofield, KJ | Play-In |
beastcoast | payk, Lumpy, Vitaly, Eimisho, MoOz | Play-In |
Among the participants, there are teams worth paying closer attention to than others.**
Top Teams To Watch
Overall, we recommend watching as many matches of Riyadh Masters 2024 Dota 2 as possible. However, if your time is limited, focus on the following clubs:
- Team Falcos – undoubtedly the strongest team of the 2024 season and the main favorite to win Riyadh Masters 2024.
- Team Spirit – last year's Riyadh Masters 2023 champions and a serious contender for any club.
- LGD Gaming – Riyadh Masters 2022 champions who are not in their best form currently but will try to regain it.
- GG – the best team in Europe, known for winning major tournaments.
- Xtreme Gaming – the strongest club in China, defending the region's honor during a downturn in Chinese Dota 2.
Apart from the teams, there are also players worth watching. Let's talk about them separately.
Star Players of the Tournament
Many star players will participate in the Riyadh Masters Cup 2024. Among all the participants, the following nicknames stand out:
- ATF – offlaner for Team Falcons and one of the most flamboyant players in modern Dota 2. Before the start of Riyadh Masters 2024, ATF reached the 14,000 MMR mark, topping the European player rankings.
- Cr1t – one of the most experienced supports at Riyadh Masters 2024 and arguably the strongest position four player in the world.
- Ceb – a Dota 2 legend trying to lead a young team to the top of competitive Dota 2 from the position of a full support player.
- Nisha – the Polish "wunderkind" who will be the driving force of Team Liquid, and their overall result at Riyadh Masters 2024 will depend on him.
- Yatoro – one of the most creative carry players of today, a two-time The International champion, and the reigning Riyadh Masters champion with Team Spirit.
Of course, there are many more notable personalities, but we won't focus exclusively on them.
Riyadh Masters 2024 Tickets
Tickets for Riyadh Masters 2024 are available on the webook website. In general, attending Riyadh Masters 2024 for Dota 2 is quite affordable. Compared to TI13, tickets are on average $647 cheaper. Here are the tickets you can buy:
- One day – 20 Saudi Riyals ($5)
- Final day – 24 Saudi Riyals ($6)
- Pass for all days – 138 Saudi Riyals ($38)
By purchasing tickets for Riyadh Masters 2024, you will get access to the championship venue in Riyadh, with the opportunity to visit all areas of interest.
Tips for Following Riyadh Masters
If you plan to watch Riyadh Masters 2024, you should create a sort of "action plan." First of all, plan your vacation for the period from July 4 to July 21 this year.
Next, if you are a dedicated fan of competitive Dota, we recommend following DOTA 2 predictions to analyze the teams' potential better. Also, keep an eye on the meta and what has been happening on the competitive scene leading up to Riyadh Masters 2024.
Best Ways to Stay Updated
The best way to stay updated on the meta, players, DOTA 2 predictions, and more is through the official channels of Riyadh Masters and ESL. These include Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and others. It's also convenient to use other information aggregators, player streams, and so on.
Engaging with the Community
During Riyadh Dota 2024, staying connected with like-minded individuals is a good idea. The best platforms for this are major forums such as Reddit, Quora, and others. Each of these forums will have a dedicated section for Riyadh Masters. Additionally, Riyadh Masters will be a central topic of discussion on general Dota 2 subreddits and other platforms.
Final Thoughts
Riyadh Masters 2024 is undoubtedly a tournament worth attention. It is the most expensive competition in the ESL Pro Tour series, with a prize pool comparable to The International. In essence, it's a kind of rehearsal for TI, with a participant lineup as strong as that of the year's main tournament.
Importance of Riyadh Masters in the Dota 2 Scene
The importance of Riyadh Masters 2024 cannot be denied. Saudi Arabia, in partnership with ESL, is investing heavily in esports development and has big plans for the Riyadh Masters series. The best clubs in the world are already participating in the championship, and with the Esports World Cup system, more and more teams will want to showcase themselves at Riyadh Masters.
Joining the Dota 2 Community
Watching Riyadh Masters 2024 is much better with the company. For this, all kinds of interest-based "clubs" are great. Reddit, Quora, themed Dota 2 forums, and specialized platforms will be very helpful.
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