The Favourites for The Riyadh Masters 2024

Riyadh Masters 2024 is coming and it will feature the biggest teams in the Dota 2 world. While its prize pool has decreased, the tournament remains as prestigious as ever. It is also the final pitstop for ESL One Pro Tour Season 2.

The Riyadh Masters is the annual Dota 2 tournament starting in 2022, hosted by Saudi Esports Federation
Credits: Gamers8

A total of twenty teams will participate in the tournament. The hype is already in the air, as the top teams will clash for a five million USD grand prize. Throughout the year, some teams have been consistent in their tournament runs. Thus, these teams have become the favorites to win The Riyadh Masters 2024. Let's talk about the powerhouses heading to Riyadh.

Team Falcons

Yes, this team has been on our favorite list for nearly every tournament this year, and we've got pretty good reasons for it. The team entered the professional Dota 2 scene this season, and they've already got multiple trophies.

Team Falcons lifting the ESL One Birmingham 2024 Trophy. (Credits: ESL One)

The team's roster includes veteran players, TI champions, and upcoming talent. For some, this unique blend of talented players could be a recipe for some disaster. However, in the case of Team Falcons, they found a way to make it work.

One of the reasons for their success lies in their coach, Kurtis "Aui_2000" Ling. He has won The International both as a player and as a coach. The team is very fond of playing a scaling draft, which their opponents usually don't have an answer for.

Will Team Falcons meet their match at The Riyadh Masters 2024? (Credits: ESL One)

Throughout the six tournaments they attended this year, Team Falcons made it to the podium in all of them. They came in at the second runner-up spot even while playing with a stand-in at the PGL Wallachia Season 1. Their exceptional performance throughout this year makes them the favourites to lift The Riyadh Masters 2024 trophy.

Team Spirit

Is it time to become the back-to-back, two-time Riyadh Masters champions? (Credit: Valve)

The current two-time TI champions have the potential to defend their Riyadh throne at this year's iteration. Yes, Team Spirit had shown some inconsistencies in their tournament runs throughout the season. The team struggled to find footing and often fell prey to surprise exits at LANs. They even failed to make it to DreamLeague Season 23.

Yatoro. (Credits: Valve)

Nevertheless, in the most recent tournament they attended, Team Spirit took home the trophy. At PGL Wallachia, Spirit reminded the Dota 2 professional scene why they have two TI trophies on their vitrine. Their in-game leader, Yaroslav "Miposhka" Naidenov, is a veteran in the scene and their safelaner, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk, has a versatile hero pool.

Team Spirit is not afraid to use this advantage in their favour. Yatoro's versatile hero pool combined with Miposhka's experience allows the team to draft unprecedently, making Team Spirit's drafts and playstyle unpredictable in each game.

Team Spirit lifting The Riyadh Masters 2023 trophy. (Credits: @Gamers8)

While Team Spirit may have a shaky season thus far, it is important to remember they also went through the same phase last year. Additionally, they only found momentum at The Riyadh Masters 2023 and went on a tear. By the time The International rolled around, they were on an unstoppable streak.

There's a saying that a history book on a shelf tends to repeat itself. Now the time for The International is around the corner, so will Team Spirit be able to repeat the feat they did last year? Will they prevail over their adversaries? Their testament awaits at The Riyadh Masters 2024.

Gaimin Gladiators

Gaimin Gladiators may have been the most brought-up name last season. However, this season, the team fell prey to their rivals, and they had been a shell of their former self. The team faced tough luck in their tournament runs until recently.

Quinn at The International 2023 after securing top 3.
Credits: Valve

At the start of the 2024 Dota 2 Professional Season, Gaimin came in as the runner-up spot in ESL One Kuala Lumpur. However, fate was not in their favour in the following tournaments, as they always had a fifth to sixth finish. It worsened in ESL One Birmingham 2024, where they were one of the early exits.

After another disappointing finish at PGL Wallachia Season 1, the team may have finally found their rhythm at DreamLeague Season 23, where they secured another runner-up finish. The team usually plays around their midlaner, Quinn "Quinn" Callahan.

Gaimin Gladiators took all of the DPC Major trophies last season. (Credits: Gaimin Gladiators)

Gaimin might not have had a terrific season thus far. The current record may not be that great compared to the previous year. However, this team had the most grand finals experience in recent years. At high-caliber tournaments like Riyadh Masters 2024, the experience can come into play, making them one of the favorites.

In DreamLeague Season 23, Gaimin exhibited an outstanding performance, but Team Falcons thwarted their comeback. The question that awaits Gaimin is - will they finally shake off their rust at Riyadh Masters 2024 and play at the level many expect them to?

Xtreme Gaming

Chinese teams are making a comeback in the professional scene this season. Thus far, the teams from the region have won two LANs, with Xtreme Gaming being one of them. The teams consist of legendary players and veterans of the region.

Xtreme had a dominant run at Elite League Season 1. (Credits: Fissure)

Three players on their roster already had won a Major this year before joining Xtreme Gaming. They joined the team to play with their former teammate and the legendary Chinese safelaner, Wang "Ame" Chunyu. The decision has paid off significantly - XG won Elite Season 1. However, it also has its downfalls.

The team did not have a consistent performance. When they display a marvelous performance during a particular tournament, they will likely flounder in the next. Nevertheless, the team opened doors to new opportunities. Xtreme Gaming recently announced their collaboration with Weibo Gaming, which they will be debuting at The Riyadh Masters 2024.

The teams mentioned above are our favourites for The Riyadh Masters 2024. The tournament will last for two weeks. If you don't agree with the teams we have chosen or have a better list of favourites, let us know in the comments below.

Featured Image Source: ESL One &Valve

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