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Dota 2 Riyadh Masters competition finished yesterday after 12 thrilling days. Twenty elite teams competed for a piece of the $15,000,000 prize fund. Riyadh Masters, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the Dota 2 Calendar, saw the world’s best teams compete in a round robin group stage followed by double elimination playoffs.
Team OG was one of the many teams vying for the top prize. They were the first Dota 2 team to have won four Dota Major Championships. The reigning champions from Dota’s “The International” event, Team Tundra Esports also entered the 2023 Masters as favorites. There was only one winner and that was Team Spirit. They beat Team Liquid to win the championship in a match for the ages.
The stakes were high, as the $15,000,000 prize pool was the largest of any Dota 2 tournament this season. Twitch’s official broadcast brought over 120,000 viewers to watch the epic showdown. Team Spirit made it to the Grand Final in its second consecutive year, beating Team Liquid in the upper bracket final 2-1. The team was looking to banish the demons of last year and finish first rather than second. Team Liquid had a chance to redeem themselves by destroying Team Talon in the lower bracket’s final 2-0. The result of the eagerly anticipated rematch was a 3-1 win for Team Spirit in the five-game Grand Final. Team Spirit won the Grand Final, leaving Gamers8 and Boulevard Riyadh City with $5,000,000 in prize money. The runners-up collected $2,500,000.
Faisal Bin Homran said: The Dota 2 Riyadh Masters Tournament at Gamers8’s Esports Arena at Boulevard Riyadh City has captured the imagination of thousands of people in attendance and the millions of viewers around the world. The global gaming and esports world has been riveted to the Dota 2 scene since July 19. The action was even more intense than expected, and exemplifies the standard of Gamers8. Competing for $15 million in prize money – the largest third-party prize fund for a tournament – has been dramatic. “We congratulate Team Spirit for their victory and thank all of the teams, players and fans at the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters.
Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the 2023 edition of Gamers8, will continue to offer plenty of action even though the Riyadh Masters has ended. Gamers8 is a showcase of esports athletes competing from all over the world in 12-tournament competitions with $45 million prize money. Imagine Dragons and Alan Walker are among the musical stars who will be performing for the crowds. Since its launch in July, the festival has been a hive of activity, including the dramatic victory by Pakistan in the Nations Cup for Tekken over a Korean team that was heavily favored. Rocket League, PUBG mobile, FIFA and Counterstrike are among the titles that will be on display at Gamers8 in Boulevard Riyadh City.
The festival will continue through the 27th of August, and then conclude with an esports and gaming forum. The Next World Forum brings sector leaders and experts to Saudi Arabia. Gamers8 plays a major role in the development of the Saudi Arabian grassroots esports community and in providing opportunities to esports athletes from around the globe. More than 67% of Saudis are gamers and several world champions from the Kingdom have already won on the biggest stages in the world.
