Dota 2
Here is what happened after the end of the Group Stage at the Riyadh Masters 2023.
Following the end of the Play-In, we learned the names of all Dota 2 teams that will be a part of Group A and Group B at the Riyadh Masters 2023. Four days later, we know all squads that will advance to the Playoffs and those going home.
Some of the results have surprised us a lot because many of the teams that we expected to have no problems barely made it through. With that said, others exceeded our expectations, so let’s learn more information about them.
Group A
Regarding the results in Group A, most of them didn’t surprise us because we expected the best teams in the world to have problems. Now that the matches are over, here’s what it looks like:
- Quest Esports
- Team Spirit
- Gaimin Gladiators
- 9Pandas
- Evil Geniuses
- PSG.LGD
- OG
- Xtreme Gaming
One team that definitely surprised us more than others is Quest Esports. We did not expect No!ob and the rest to achieve such good results, especially after the squad parted ways with none other than ATF. The fact that the best player was no longer a part of the squad was not a good sign, and we expected the team to have a lot of issues. However, after the first three days of matches, Quest Esports finished without a single loss and became the first team to secure itself a slot for the next stage of the Riyadh Masters 2023.
Team Spirit became the second big name that qualified for Round 2 of the Riyadh Masters 2023. As expected, Yatoro’s squad was better than almost all its opponents and finished with just one loss. Fortunately, the team achieved two victories and four draws, which was enough to get second place in Group A
Up next, we have the one and only Gaimin Gladiators. The world’s best Dota 2 team also had no problems and finished among the best 4 in Group A with just a single loss. Most people expected this team to be among the best because it won all tournaments in 2023.
Lastly, 9Pandas will be the 4th team to join the abovementioned three. RAMZES666 and his team played in the Tiebreaker after two fast victories against EG and PSG.LGD, the team secured itself the last sport among the best 4.
The squads that did not make it
Although we expected more from Xtreme Gaming, especially after Day 1 at the Riyadh Masters 2023, it seems like the team is not on the same level as its opponents from other parts of the world. Paparazzi and the rest have a pretty good roster, but the lack of experience on the international scene has an impact on the players.
Aside from Xtreme Gaming, OG was the second team that couldn’t survive in the group. The latter finally made it into a big event after missing out on several tournaments, and fans expected them to perform better. Despite only losing two matches, OG got five draws, which was not enough for the team to finish among the top 6 and thus will leave the Riyadh Masters 2023.
Group B
Surprisingly, the second group of the Riyadh Masters 2023 was much more interesting to watch than the first one. Some of the squads here had no problems and qualified for Playoffs early. Following all series, this is the final standing:
- BetBoom Team
- Team Liquid
- Team Aster
- Talon Esports
- Team Secret
- Tundra Esports
- TSM
- Shopify Rebellion
The first team that we will get to see in the playoffs is none other than BetBoom Team. Most Dota 2 experts thought that the squad would have problems because of the most recent event at the Bali Major 2023 when it was chatting. This led to a loss against Tundra and elimination because the team lost the subsequent game, too. However, this did not affect the team because, after the first three days, BetBoom had five victories and only one loss.
The next Dota 2 team at the Riyadh Masters 2023 Group B that surprised everyone was Talon Esports. Even though this name was pretty big a few months ago, Talon couldn’t qualify for the last Major. We expected the team to lose almost all of its matches, but this was not the case because 23savage and the rest qualified for the next tournament stage after the first three days.
As expected, Team Liquid also found its name on the list after winning three matches, securing three draws, and losing one series. Nisha and his team recently reached the final of the Bali Major 2023, so there is no arguing that the team is among the best in the world. We are yet to see if it can win the Riyadh Masters 2023.
Team Aster is the last team in the big four that will advance to the Upper Brackets of the playoffs. Even though most of us did not expect the Chinese squad to outperform the likes of Tundra and Team Secret, SumaiL and his crew did really well and deserved their trophy.
The rest of the teams
Aside from the teams mentioned above, Team Secret will also advance to the next stage of the Riyadh Masters 2023. However, the squad could not secure a finish among the top 4, so it will be in the Lower Bracket.
The same applies to Tundra Esports, but Nine and the rest had many problems because they had to play in the Tiebreaker. Luckily, it ended well for them after defeating TSM and SR.
Speaking of the devil, the two North American teams finished last and second last, meaning they are out of the Riyadh Major 2023 and the Group Stage. This proves that this region needs some changes because the best teams there are on a different level than those in the rest of the world.
