The Riyadh Masters is just around the corner, featuring twenty teams competing for a $5 million prize pool. Many of the top teams will use this event as their final public preparation before The International. Some of these teams will also be attending Elite League Season 2.
Teams have qualified either through their performance over the competitive season (via EPT points) or through regional qualifiers, which determine their starting point in the competition.
The twelve Regional Qualifier teams will start in the Play-In Stage, a two-group round-robin where the top three in each group advance. The fourth and fifth teams will face a do-or-die match against a team from the other group. While the groups haven’t been drawn yet, there are some favorites.
Noxville’s Riyadh Masters 2024 Predictions
Very Very Likely to Qualify Play-In Teams:
- G2 x IG: They've been a good, though not great, team for most of the season. They narrowly missed direct qualification through EPT points (9th place), gaining most of their points at LAN events.
- Entity Gaming: They have been steadily improving throughout the year, despite failing to qualify out of the tough Western Europe region. They've had some strong performances in smaller events and notable runs in the WEU Qualifiers for both Riyadh Masters and The International.
Very Likely to Qualify Play-In Teams:
- Aurora: One of the few SEA teams performing well this year, despite being knocked down by Talon in the TI Qualifiers (they qualified via the lower bracket).
- Azure Ray: After a roster shuffle post their ESL Kuala Lumpur 2023 win, their only other good result was a top 3 in Elite League Season 1 and a top 6 in DreamLeague Season 23.
- PSG Quest: Known for their cross-regional experience, they consistently qualify through MENA. While their results have been mixed, the stratification of top-tier teams makes breaking through challenging.
- LGD Gaming: After a brief hiatus, they qualified easily through the Chinese qualifiers. Riyadh marks their last big event of the season, and they are expected to put in a strong effort.
Given the group allocations, opportunities might arise for HEROIC, Virtus Pro, or nouns to step up and secure a spot. The lack of cross-regional play on the new patch makes it hard to judge some teams accurately.
Group Stage and Beyond
As mentioned, the top tier of professional Dota is well-defined, with only a few teams consistently performing well throughout the season. The EPT points system, accumulated over a long period, means some teams qualified despite being out of form recently.
Group Stage Invite Teams Tiering
S-Tier:
- Team Falcons: They have won every event in 2024 except Elite League Season 1 and PGL Wallachia Season. They are in exceptional form and adaptable to changes in the game.
S/A-Tier:
- Xtreme Gaming: One of the few teams to beat Team Falcons in a playoff series and consistently perform well. They are on the borderline between S-tier and A-tier.
A-Tier:
- Gaimin Gladiators: A dominant team last season, consistently good, but not great this season. They are close to a breakthrough with six top-6 finishes.
- Tundra Esports: Decent recent results, including 3rd at ESL One Birmingham and a top 6 in DreamLeague S23, along with strong performances in TI Qualifiers.
- BetBoom Team: Four podium finishes in six tier 1 events in 2024. They need to overcome Team Falcons, their recurring nemesis, to go further.
B-Tier:
- Team Liquid: A strong start to the season with top finishes at ESL Kuala Lumpur and BetBoom Dacha, but no podium finishes since.
- Team Spirit: Despite a quiet year, they recently won PGL Wallachia. They have the potential to be S/A-tier but could also fall to C-tier depending on their form in Riyadh.
C-Tier:
- OG Esports: Their best result this season was a fourth-place finish at ESL One Birmingham. They face a tough challenge with the pedigree of the teams above them.
Play-In Teams’ Potential:
- G2 x IG and Entity could potentially move up from C-tier to B-tier with strong performances.
- Aurora and Azure Ray would likely fill out the C-tier.
- PSG Quest and LGD Gaming would lead the D-tier, with Heroic, VP, and nouns following.
The event will test teams' adaptability to the new patch, changing play styles, and handling the pressure of a major LAN event. It will be particularly challenging for SEA, NA, and SA teams due to the dominance of Western European teams and a few strong Eastern European and Chinese teams, with Team Falcons being the main target.