Riyadh Masters 2024, the Dota 2 tournament at the inaugural Esports World Cup, moves into the playoff stage with 12 teams remaining in the competition.
At the start of the month, 20 teams traveled to Saudi Arabia's capital to compete for a spot in the playoffs of the Riyadh Masters 2024. Two teams were eliminated in the play-in stage, and four more exited at the end of the group stage.
While Group A unfolded as expected with Team Falcons securing the top seed, Group B saw one of the season's top teams struggling until the very last match.
Read also: Blacklist Rivalry and Heroic’s Riyadh Masters 2024 Journey Ends in the Groups
BetBoom Team's Shaky Road to Playoffs
BetBoom Team, having reached two grand finals and placed third in two other tier-one tournaments this year, came to Riyadh as a top contender. However, their journey through the group stage was fraught with challenges, leaving them one game away from early elimination.
Throughout the five days of group play, BetBoom secured only one clean 2-0 victory in the round-robin, two-game series format. They suffered 0-2 losses to WBG.XG, Team Liquid, and Entity, putting them in a precarious position. Their survival was ensured by a 2-0 victory over beastcoast and a draw with Tundra Esports, resulting in an overall 5-9 game score.
Playoff Challenges Ahead
Barely making it through the group stage, the BetBoom Team will face elimination in every playoff series as they start in the lower bracket rounds.
South America saw both of its teams eliminated at the end of the group stage. Beastcoast, seeded in Group B, finished in 13th-14th place, tied with Heroic, the South American team eliminated from Group A. MOUZ, making their LAN debut in Riyadh, also bowed out of the tournament.
Upcoming Matches
Riyadh Masters 2024 action will resume on Tuesday, July 16, at 11:00 CET with the upper bracket quarterfinals featuring Team Falcons vs. WBG.XG. All quarterfinal series will be played on Tuesday, so be sure to tune in!