The Riyadh Masters will be one of the biggest competitions in 2023. The regulations differ from the usual majors organized by Valve. The tournament from the Arab sheikhs consists of stages:
- Play-in;
- Group stage;
- Playoffs with double elimination bracket.
The calendar of games is full. And in order to follow the results of matches and the calendar of upcoming games, as well as be able to bet on the event of interest, it is recommended to use app Pakistan download from a popular betting company. This will allow you to access the service in any convenient place using your smartphone.
At the first stage of Riyadh Masters 2023, 12 teams will play, which are divided into 2 groups of six teams. The competition will be held in the format of one round according to the Bo2 system, that is, two maps will be played in each game. The top two teams from each group advance to the group stage. The rest of the participants go to the play-off round, where they will play each other in Bo3 format. Teams from third to sixth place in group A will meet in the knockout game with opponents who have taken positions from six to third in group B. The winners will also advance to the group round, while the losers will leave the tournament.
Let’s consider which teams are more likely to advance to the next stage.
Contenders for victory in Group A
The following teams will play in Group A:
- Team Aster;
- Virtus.pro;
- TSM;
- Excretion;
- Entity;
- Team Liquid.
The latter are considered the main contenders for victory in the group. “Liquid” in the current year reached the Majors three times, won the European Championship twice and are considered the strongest team in their region.
But the organization was unable to get a direct ticket to the tournament due to players’ vacations. The team did not play at full strength at the ESL Pro Tour. Now the team is ready to play at the top level.
The second favorite is Team Aster. The Chinese team performed well at the previous major held in Bali. In addition, after this tournament, the team was able to strengthen with a new player, which was Hu Liangzhi (Kaka).
The weakest team in Group A is Virtus.pro. The Bears have been playing poorly this year. But the rest of the teams show about the same level. It will be difficult for all these four teams to take one of the first places. But there is a high chance of qualifying through play-offs.
Group B favorites
The following commands will converge in group B:
- Team Secret;
- Quest Esports;
- Xtreme Gaming;
- OG;
- beastcoast;
- 9 Pandas.
The strongest team in this group is Quest Esports. But there is one very important nuance. The team recently left one of the leaders of the team, namely Ammar Assaf (ATF). The player played on loan, being listed in the Nigma reserve. After the expiration of the contract, the parties could not reach an agreement on its extension.
Replaced the departed player Abdimalik Saylau (Malik). With the departure of one of the leaders, the team has become clearly weaker, which may affect the results. But Quest Esports should go through the play-in stage without problems, if not from the first two places, then through the play-off.
The second favorite is 9 Pandas. The team performed well at the majors several times this year. The team has the third place in the major in Berlin. And in Bali, 9 Pandas got into the top 6, which can be considered a successful performance.
The South American team beastcoast performs at approximately the same level. The team has recently been updated with a new carry. At the major in Bali, the team managed to get into the playoffs, but lost in the lower bracket in a bitter confrontation against 9 Pandas.
Group B looks more competitive than Group A. If it’s easy to single out two favorites there, it’s almost impossible to do so here. After all, Xtreme Gaming or OG can also perform successfully. The former play unstably, but from time to time they are able to pull themselves together and give out a good winning streak. And OG got stronger with Sebastian Debs (Ceb) joining the team. Ceb knows how to surprise opponents and lead the team. Therefore, the team will get its chance for the play-in.
Team Secret looks like the weakest member of group B. This year the team has not achieved any significant success. The game of the team is clearly not going well. And it is unlikely that anything will change at Riyadh Masters 2023.