Just a couple of days after the end of Tour 3 of the current DPC, it is time to focus on one of the hottest events of 2022. Despite not being a part of the DPC, Riyadh Masters 2022 will include 10 of the best Dota 2 teams in the world. As its name suggests, it will take place in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
This is the second big tournament outside of the DPC for 2022, and by the looks of it, it will be the most interesting one. People want to learn more about it, so let’s consider all the things you must be aware of.
Contents
Format & Informnation
As mentioned, Riyadh Masters 2022 will include ten teams. Seven received a direct invitation, whereas the remaining three secured a slot for the event by competing in the qualifiers.
The teams will be placed into two groups of five, where they will play in a round-robin format. Once the Group Stage is over, the team that finished first will advance to the semifinals of the playoffs. The second and third place teams will go to the quarterfinals, whereas the remaining ones will be eliminated.
Every match in the group stage will be in a Bo2 format, whereas the playoffs will be in Bo3. Interestingly, we will only have a single-elimination bracket, which means that if a team loses, it is out of the event.
Aside from the exciting location, Riyadh Masters 2022 will be very interesting to watch because of its prize pool. Although it is not in the DPC, the event will offer a jaw-dropping $4,000,000 prize. The winners will receive $1.5M, which is extremely impressive for an event of this caliber.
Some of you may be surprised by the enormous prize pool, but many people know that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud is a huge Dota 2 fan. Therefore, it shouldn’t be surprising that the event is as big.
The Teams
Those interested in watching the event live must go to the Boulevard Riyadh City. Some of the best players in the world will show everything they offer between July 20 and July 24, so we can’t wait to see them in action.
Speaking of the best teams, it is time to share a few words about them because some are really impressive.
PSG.LGD
The first team that will try to win the big prize is the Chinese powerhouse PSG.LGD. Unless something bad happens, this will be the first LAN event for a Chinese team in 2022 because the region could not send its representatives to Sweden for the ESL One Stockholm 2022.
Although PSG.LGD was regarded as the best team in the world, but its recent performance in Tour 3 was questionable. Even though Zhao “XinQ” Zixing and the rest qualified for the PGL Arlington Major, the team made many mistakes. PSG.LGD lost three out of seven matches, which is strange because the team only lost one series before that, and it was in Tour 2.
Team Secret
The second big name in this event that will try to win the $1.5M prize is Team Secret. Despite having one of the best rosters on paper, Puppey, and co. failed to qualify for the second major of the DPC. The team lost many essential matches and couldn’t defeat Brame in the Tiebreaker.
Failing to secure a slot for the Major sucks, but this won’t matter as much if Team Secret wins at Riyadh. Sadly, this won’t be easy because the EU powerhouse will have to go up against loads of top teams.
Team Spirit
While we’re on the topic of top teams, we have to mention the current TI winners. Team Spirit is among the directly-invited teams, which doesn’t come as a surprise. Yatoro and the rest had almost no problems during Tour 3 in Eastern Europe and will be one of the region’s representatives.
Despite not being in thier best form, Team Spirit is always one of the favorites at every event. We can’t wait to see them go head to head against some of the best names in the world.
The two-times TI-winning organization and its team of young players will also take part in the Riyadh Masters 2022. BZM and the rest won the first Major of the 2021-2022 DPC and had no problems qualifying for the second one. Hence, this makes them one of the big favorites to win this event.
Despite being one of the favorites, this will be OG’s third LAN event with the new roster. The young players have already proven that they can play under pressure. However, they do not have much experience, which may impact their performance.
Tundra Esports
Nine and the rest of his team are headed to Saudi Arabia because TE received a direct invitation. Some people may not think Tundra should be here, but if you look at Tour 3 in Western Europe, you will see that Tundra Esports is one of the world’s best. This team became the first to secure a slot for the PGL Major in the region and lost only one series.
Nigma Galaxy
It’s safe to say that Nigma Galaxy is the most interesting name in this event. This is the only directly-invited team playing in Division II during Tour 3. TI 7 winners had to do that after failing to show their prowess during Tour 2.
Despite being in Division II, Nigma’s new roster with SumaiL seems strong. Unsurprisingly, the team did not lose a single match in Division II, so it’s time to see it against the best in the world.
TSM
TSM is another controversial invite because most people expected to see Evil Geniuses on the line up. However, it seems like the event’s organizers decided to add the finalist of the ESL One Stockholm 2022 instead of the NA powerhouse.
Although TSM played well in the Major, they failed to impress during Tour 3. After losing many matches, Bryle and the rest could not qualify for the PGL Arlington Major.
Team Liquid
Team Liquid became the European team to secure a slot after participating in the GWB Europe & CIS qualifiers. MATUMBAMAN and the rest will try to prove themselves again and show the world that they are among the best.
Royal Never Give Up
Since RNGU did not receive an invitation for the event, Maybe the rest had to go through the GWB Asia qualifiers. Fortunately, the winners of Tour 3 in China secured a spot for this fantastic tournament. This means we will be able to see them in action against the best European powerhouses.
Deboosters
The last team participating in the Riyadh Masters 2022 is Deboosters, and they secured a slot from the GWB Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, this team consists of two players from other clubs. PLEB is from DGG Esports, whereas Malik is from PuckChamp.
Deboosters definitely looks like the underdog compared to the rest. However, let’s not forget that Team Spirit was in a similar position before TI 10, so you never know what will happen.
The Groups
As mentioned earlier, Riyadh Masters 2022 will have two groups of five teams. Since the event starts on July 20, we already know the teams in each one.
Group A:
Nigma Galaxy
OG
Royal Never Give Up
Team Liquid
TSM
Group B:
PSG.LGD
Team Secret
Tundra Esports
Deboosters
Team Spirit
The first group looks much more interesting on paper, but both have much to offer. Don’t forget that two teams from the group will be eliminated.
