Riyadh Masters 2024 Qualifiers: MENA Attracts More Viewers Than Europe

The final regional qualifiers for the Riyadh Masters 2024, one of the largest Dota 2 tournaments of the year, concluded on June 4th. The MENA qualifier attracted the highest number of concurrent viewers, with Southeast Asia leading in total watch time.

Overall, the regional qualifiers for Riyadh Masters 2024 allocated 12 slots: 3 in China, 2 each in Western Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America, and 1 each in Eastern Europe, North America, and MENA. Winning teams will join 8 other squads who received direct invites to Riyadh Masters 2024 based on their high rankings in the EPT Leaderboard.

The regional qualifiers for Riyadh Masters 2024 took place from May 31st to June 4th. The matches garnered over 3.9 million hours watched. While this falls short of The International qualifiers, it is roughly comparable to qualifiers for DreamLeague Season 23, ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, ESL One Birmingham 2024, and other top-tier tournaments.

In terms of outcomes, the Riyadh Masters 2024 qualifiers held surprises for viewers. Notably, this year's tournament will not feature Shopify Rebellion, Team Secret, or Talon Esports, as these teams failed to secure slots in their respective regions.

MENA Closed Qualifier Results

The MENA Closed Qualifier took the lead in peak viewership, attracting over 105.2K viewers for the crucial match between Nigma Galaxy and PSG Quest. Adding to the excitement was the return of the legendary support player GH to Nigma Galaxy's lineup just before the qualifiers. Despite his efforts, Nigma Galaxy fell short of securing a slot for the «home» tournament, as PSG Quest emerged victorious with a 3:1 score.

Beyond peak viewership, the MENA Closed Qualifier matches also boasted the highest average viewership. However, this was mainly due to the limited number of participants and matches involved: only four teams competed in the MENA Closed Qualifier.

Eastern Europe Closed Qualifier Results

The Eastern Europe qualifier peaked with over 94.7K viewers, all eager to witness the classic showdown between Natus Vincere and Virtus.pro in the grand finals. Virtus.pro clinched a decisive victory with a flawless 3:0 score, securing the sole slot for the tournament from the region.

In general, the qualifiers showcased impressive viewership numbers compared to other regions, largely propelled by Natus Vincere's presence: the Ukrainian team featured in each of the top 5 most-watched matches of the qualifiers.

Western Europe Closed Qualifier Results

The main focal point in the Western Europe qualifier was the showdown between Team Secret and Entity. Meeting in the upper bracket, both teams vied for a coveted slot, with Entity securing a 2:1 victory. Despite Team Secret's chance to clinch a second slot in the lower bracket, they faltered against MOUZ. Consequently, Team Secret will miss the Riyadh Masters for the first time since 2022.

In terms of viewership, the Western Europe Qualifier delivered average results compared to other regions—ranking in the top 4 for total watch time, average viewership, and peak viewership. This can be attributed to the prior direct invites received by teams like Team Liquid and Gaimin Gladiators.

Southeast Asia Closed Qualifier Results

The Southeast Asia Closed Qualifier emerged as the most-watched among all qualifiers for the Riyadh Masters 2024, being the only qualifying stage where matches amassed over 1 million hours watched. Despite having twice as many participating teams compared to other qualifiers, Southeast Asia nearly matched the average viewership. This heightened audience interest can be attributed to several factors, including the return of TNC Predator under Kuku's leadership, the internal scandal in Blacklist International between Abed and Gabbi, the debut of Chinese player Emo in Bleed Esports, and more.

The quota winners in the Southeast Asia qualifier were Aurora and Blacklist International. The series between Talon Esports and Blacklist International in the final match of the lower bracket attracted the largest audience, with 72.9K viewers concurrently at its peak. Interestingly, unlike other regions, Southeast Asia did not exhibit a significant gap in viewership between the leading match and the others. This suggests a more evenly distributed viewer attention throughout the entire qualifier.

Qualification Results in China, North, and South America

There were no surprises in the Chinese qualifier: all three slots went to the favorites of the qualifiers, G2 x iG, LGD Gaming, and Azure Ray. In the North American qualifiers, only four teams competed, and the slot's fate was predictably decided in the showdown between Shopify Rebellion and nouns: the latter clinched a hard-fought victory with a score of 3:2. Similarly, in South America, both slots went to the favorites — Heroic and beastcoast will represent the region at the tournament in Riyadh.

Traditionally, these regions have shown the weakest viewership results, significantly trailing behind Europe, Southeast Asia, and MENA. It's important to note that the statistics for the Chinese qualifier do not include data from Chinese streaming services.

The Riyadh Masters 2024 will take place from July 4th to July 21st in Saudi Arabia, as part of the Esports World Cup series. The prize pool for the Dota 2 tournament will amount to $5 million, with 20 teams competing for it.