Dota 2
After watching some of the best in the world compete, the Riyadh Masters 2022 ended. Ten of the top teams in the DPC took part in one of the most interesting non-DPC events of the year. Besides the event taking place in Saudi Arabia, it also included a jaw-dropping $4,000,000 prize pool.
Unsurprisingly, the teams that received a direct invitation and those that got here via the qualifiers gave everything they got. Following the action in the group stage and the playoffs, PSG.LGD won the event, nabbing a cool $1.5 million USD. Of course, this wasn't easy.
There were many exciting moments during the event, and we saw some fantastic results. So, let’s check out some things every Dota 2 fan should know.
An underwhelming performance from Tundra Esports
This event’s lucrative prize pool allowed us to watch some of the best teams from every region, including Western Europe. One of them was Tundra Esports, the winner of Western Europe’s Division I and one of the leading contenders for the title.
Everyone expected Nine and co. to have little to no problems in the Group Stage and advance to the playoffs. However, this was not the case because Tundra finished second-last in Group B.
After losing the first series against Secret, TT defeated DB. Sadly, this was the team’s only victory because Nine and the rest lost the next two series against Team Spirit and PSG LGD. Most fans are disappointed because they expected TE to be much stronger, especially after winning Division I.
Team Secret exceeded expectations
Unlike Tundra Esports, who were one of the most under-performing squads at the Riyadh Masters 2022, it's safe to say that Team Secret exceeded expectations.
Puppey and the rest failed to qualify for the PGL Arlington Major a couple of weeks ago. After several bad results, Team Secret failed to secure the first four places in Division I and won’t attend the second Major of the year.
Most people did not expect the team to perform well in Saudi Arabia, but it seems like the prize pool motivated the team to show what it’s capable of. Team Secret became the only team in the entire event that did not lose a single series in Group B. It even defeated PSG.LGD, which won the event.
Once the laning stage was over, Puppey and co. secured a slot for the semi-finals, where they had to meet the winner from RNG and Team Spirit. In the end, Secret had to go up against Team Spirit, a clash that allowed us to watch three epic games. Despite winning the first one, Secret could not defeat the powerful TI champion, who had no problems in the second and third games.
Sadly, Riyadh Masters 2022 did not have a Lower Bracket, which meant that this was Team Secret’s first and final loss. The team finished 3rd-4th and secured a $425,000 prize.
PSG.LGD is back!
Tour 3 of the DPC allowed us to watch some pretty epic fights in every region, and China is not an exception. One of the reasons why this was among the hottest regions this time was PSG.LGD’s strange performance. Before Tour 3, Ame and the rest only lost one series in Tour 1 and 2, making his team the big favorites. Many people consider them the best in the world.
Despite their amazing results, the team struggled in the DPC and barely secured a slot for the Major. That’s why most fans didn’t expect PSG.LGD to be so dominant in this tournament.
The Chinese powerhouse lost only one match in Group B, and it was against Team Secret. Fortunately, it defeated everyone else, which allowed it to secure second place and a slot for the Quarter-Finals.
The first challenge ahead of Ame and the rest was Nigma Galaxy, one of the most interesting teams here. The winners of WEU’s Division II also had no problems in the groups, which is why people expected the team to win against their Chinese counterparts. However, this did not happen because LGD was the better team and eliminated TI 7 champions.
Following the quarter-finals, PSG.LGD had to face its biggest challenge yet against the WEU powerhouse OG. The young team was eager to win, but the lack of experience and PSG’s incredible drafts didn’t allow this to happen. Despite winning the second game, LGD was the better team.
The Final
After eliminating some of the best teams in Europe, it was time for PSG.LGD’s ultimate challenge - is the current TI champion. We expected an epic three-game series, but the Chinese wanted to win because Ame and the rest had no problems against Team Spirit.
Both games lasted a little over 30 minutes because LGD played extremely well and controlled the tempo. This was the team’s second victory against Team Spirit because the two also met in the Group Stage.
TSM needs to make some changes
Aside from Tundra Esports, TSM is the second big disappointment of the event and one of the teams that will probably have to make some changes if it wants to start winning. The only reason why Bryle and the rest received an invitation for this event was because of the final at ESL One Stockholm 2022. Sadly, it seems like this event was not an accurate representation of TSM’s results because the team is not doing good.
Following TSM’s dreadful performance during Tour 3, the team was unable to shine in Riyadh. Despite winning against Team Liquid, TSM lost the other series and finished second last in Group B. This prevented the team from advancing to the playoffs.
Missed out on the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters at Gamers8? You can catch up on all the action right here on BLIX.GG.
Feature Image: @Gamers8_EN
