2023 Riyadh Masters Odds and Preview: Who to watch
Dota 2 esports never sleeps! With the Gaimin Gladiators winning the Bali Major, the Dota 2 news world is gearing up for the 2023 Riyadh Masters next week. This will be the last big LAN tournament before The International, the crowning event of Dota 2’s esports circuit system, which is returning to Seattle after a six-year absence.
The 2023 Riyadh Masters takes place in Saudi Arabia’s capital as part of Gamers8, the esports festival that spans over eight weeks. The Riyadh Masters will be the crown jewel of the Saudi festival, with a staggering $15 million on offer — a third of the event’s total prize purse.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2023 Riyadh Masters tournament!
Participating Teams
Twenty teams were invited to the 2023 Riyadh Masters tournament! The 2023 Riyadh Masters already finalized its Group Stage Seeds, consisting of Gaimin Gladiators and BetBoom Team, which qualified via winning the DreamLeague season 19 and season 20. Technically Gaimin won both seasons, but BetBoom secured second place in season 20, so they got in through that.
The other Group Stage teams include PSG.LGD, Evil Geniuses, Tundra Esports, Talon Esports, Team Spirit and Shopify Rebellion.
The other twelve teams will start the Play-In stage through their Dota 2 rankings. However, Quest Esports, which won the MENA Qualifier, have already qualified for the Group Stage.
Here are all twenty teams competing at the 2023 Riyadh Masters, along with their esports betting odds to win the top prize.
| Team | Odds *Last Updated: 7/14/2023 |
|---|---|
| Gaimin Gladiators | +325 |
| Tundra Esports | +550 |
| BetBoom Team | +850 |
| PSG.LGD | +900 |
| Team Liquid | +900 |
| Team Spirit | +1200 |
| Quest Esports | +1300 |
| Talon Esports | +1500 |
| 9Pandas | +1600 |
| Beastcoast | +2000 |
| Xtreme Gaming | +2800 |
| Shopify Rebellion | +2800 |
| OG | +2800 |
| Team Aster | +3000 |
| Evil Geniuses | +3000 |
| Team Secret | +3300 |
| Entity Gaming | +3500 |
| Virtus.Pro | +5000 |
| TSM | +5500 |
| Execretion | +6000 |
2023 Riyad Masters Format
The 2023 Riyadh Masters will take place from July 19-30 and will feature 20 teams worldwide. Eight teams will start from the group stage, while the remaining 12 sides must go through a Play-In Stage.
Play-In (July 19-20)
- Two groups of six teams face each other once (Bo2).
- Top two teams from each group advance to the group stage.
- Teams ranked 3rd to 6th will play a decider stage, with four group stage spots on the line.
Group Stage (July 21-24)
- Two groups of eight teams face each other once (Bo2).
- Top four teams from each group advance to the playoffs’ upper bracket.
- Teams ranked 5th and 6th progress to the lower bracket.
Playoffs (July 25-30)
- Double-elimination bracket with 12 teams.
- All matches are played in a Bo3 format except the final (Bo5).
Prize Pool
The 2023 Riyadh Masters will offer a staggering $15,000,000 prize pool, in which every team that qualifies will take home something. That is something you never see at esports tournaments!
As you’d expect, the winning team will take home the most significant portion, with the rest of the money distributed proportionately to the rest of the teams based on their final positions.
- 1st place – $5,000,000
- 2nd place – $2,500,000
- 3rd place – $1,700,000
- 4th place – $1,200,000
- 5th-6th place – $800,000
- 7th-8th place – $500,000
- 9th-12th place – $300,000Â
- 13th-14th place – $200,000
- 15th-16th place – $100,000
- 17th-20th place – $50,000
Top Teams to Watch at the 2023 Riyadh Masters
Gaimin Gladiators have dominated the Dota 2 leaderboards all year long and will hope to keep this form going into the 2023 Riyadh Masters and The International. However, just because they are the best Dota 2 esports team does not mean they are the best to watch for esports bettors. Three teams take that title: BetBoom Team, Quest Esports, and Evil Geniuses.
Evil Geniuses
After securing their spot at the 2023 Riyadh Masters, thanks to their ranking so far this season, Evil Geniuses had a disappointing Bali Major. Despite having one of the better rosters at the tournament, they were one of two teams who did win a single game. EG can compete with the best of the best, but they need to find some consistency to compete.
They could be a dark horse in Riyadh at +3000 if they can find their footing.
Quest Esports
Despite not being considered one of the top Dota 2 teams, Quest Esports has had a fantastic year. They placed fourth at the Bali Major, beating PSG, BetBoom, and EG along the way. Q could have competed in the final if they didn’t run out of steam. They qualified for the 2023 Riyadh Masters, thanks to the MENA Qualifiers. Quest could be an exciting team to watch at +1300.
BetBoom Team
The Russian powerhouse, BetBoom Team, is considered one of the top teams besides Gaimin and Tundra Esports. They are considered one of the best European teams in the world and consistently compete in every tournament they play in. After a disappointing showing after the Group Stage at the Bali Major, BetBoom will hope to bounce back and make a run at the 2023 Riyadh Masters.
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