The first day of the Riyadh Masters 2024 group stage kicked off with an exciting series between the current top two teams of the competitive season. Most Dota 2 fans anticipate a grand finals showdown between Team Spirit and Team Falcons at the Riyadh Masters tournament at the Esports World Cup. Although the finals are still far off, the group stage's opening series featured outstanding gameplay by Team Spirit, the defending champions.
Team Falcons vs. Team Spirit
Team Falcons began the two-game series with impressive strength, dominating the laning stage with Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf's off-lane Broodmother. By the eleven-minute mark, the Falcons were prepared to dive past Team Spirit's tier-three towers, led by ATF. Team Spirit found themselves confined to their jungle, cautiously farming their cores while waiting for the right moment to engage in a fight.
By the 20-minute mark, the Falcons held a substantial 20k gold lead, seemingly heading for a decisive victory. However, they lacked a Black King Bar on their carry Sven, providing the opportunity Team Spirit needed. A fight leading to a full-team wipe allowed Team Spirit to mount a full comeback.
"I think they didn’t understand the power of our heroes," said Denis "Larl" Sigitov in the post-match interview for the English broadcast. "Sven should have bought BKB," he added, referring to the critical moment his team turned the tide.
While the first game showcased Team Spirit's resilience and strategic choices, the second game was much easier for them. They out-drafted their opponents to secure a clean 2-0 victory.
Heroic Upsets Gaimin Gladiators
The Riyadh Masters 2024 group stage began with 16 teams divided into two groups of eight. With the large number of competitors, the group stage features four series running simultaneously. From the first batch of games in Group A, Heroic has been the biggest surprise so far.
The South American team, coming from the play-in stage, impressed the most among all participating teams, claiming the top seed. Moving forward, they have already claimed another victim.
Gaimin Gladiators were defeated 0-2 by Heroic, who played two dominant games, leaving the European powerhouse no room for a comeback.
Both the Falcons and the Gaimin Gladiators still have time to recover. All teams in Group A have two series scheduled on the first day of group play and will return to the stage after Group B plays its first matches. Stay tuned for more updates from Riyadh Masters 2024, the Dota 2 tournament at the Esports World Cup.