Riyadh Masters 2024 – New Tier 1 eSports Dota 2 Event

Dota 2 International 2023 was extremely unsuccessful. It was not a matter of organisation but of the prize fund, which was at the level of the first events from Valve. This attitude, not only towards the game itself but towards the main tournament, created the impression that Valve was no longer entirely interested in the eSport aspect of Dota 2.

This was confirmed by the announcement of the Esports World Cup (EWC 2024), which many people know as Riyadh Masters 2024. The event immediately attracted the interest of various bookmakers and eSports betting sites from https://esports-betting-bro.com, since the organizers promised a new format for both teams and spectators. Therefore, everyone needs to prepare in advance: check statistics, guides, etc., especially new bettors.

Riyadh Masters is a breath of fresh air. The reason for this is the promise of a prize fund of several tens of millions of dollars, which is many times more than what was at Dota 2 International 2023. But will Riyadh Masters be better than the traditional tournament from Valve? Let’s figure it out.

What is Riyadh Masters 2024?

(Source: vpesports)

Riyadh Masters 2024 tournament was announced back in 2023, a few days after the completion of the disastrous Dota 2 International 2023. As stated above, Valve most likely wants to outsource large events while not abandoning the International concept.

In the Dota 2 ecosystem, Riyadh Masters 2024 will be analogous to The International since, in order to participate, teams must accumulate rating points. The new season will begin with two ESL tournaments and three seasons of the DreamLeague (previously, instead of the DreamLeague, there were majors from Valve). Based on the results of these events, the teams with the highest ratings will receive a direct invite. Plus, some teams can get through closed qualifications in their region.

Reasons for the Failure of Dota 2 International 2023

Dota 2 International tournaments have been organised since 2011. At the first two events, the prize pool was 1.6 million dollars; at the third, the amount increased slightly (to 2.8 million). But after that, every tournament had a prize pool of at least 10 million (maximum $40,018,195), except for the last International 2023 ($3,380,455).

The most likely reason for the failure of Dota 2 International 2023 was money. Valve abandoned the classic compendium system with different skins and exclusive in-game items. As a result, the compendiums (part of the sales of which went to the prize fund) were not interesting and had no “value” for gamers.

Riyadh Masters 2024: Schedule and Prize Pool

Riyadh Masters will be held in Saudi Arabia. This region has not been interested in eSports for a long time. However, after the announcement of the event, the Dota community was on hype because they understood that this might be a new era for Dota 2.

In fact, Saudi Arabia, in the opinion of experts and economists, has decided to accumulate budget funds into a new ecosystem. Unfortunately, the exact dates are not yet known. From what the organisers have announced so far, the tournament will take place in July 2024. Fortunately, for those who will not receive a direct invite, qualifications for the championship will run from May 29 to June 4, 2024.

The prize fund also remains a mystery for now. But based on the economic aspect of Saudi Arabia, the grand prize will be 10–20 million dollars. If there is an announcement of a compendium with new skins and immortal items (as was previously the case in Valve tournaments), the prize fund will be really huge.

New The International or Serious Competitor?

After the failure of The International 2023 for the Dota 2 community and pro teams, any event will seem much better than it was last year. But still, International remains the hallmark of Dota 2.

Riyadh Masters, in turn, is just a new tournament in a new region. Interest in it has really increased from bookmakers, teams, organisers and even the government of Saudi Arabia. Based on the results of Riyadh Masters 2024, it will be possible to conclude what awaits Dota 2 esports in the future. For now, all that remains is to wait.