Dota 2 Riyadh Masters: BetBoom, Quest, Talon first to secure upper bracket Playoff spots

Day three of the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters Group Stage saw the first three teams qualify for the Playoffs, with Eastern European powerhouse BetBoom Team, rising Western European squad Quest Esports, and Southeast Asian stalwarts Talon Esports claiming upper bracket berths.

Quest are in prime position to finish atop the standings of Group A while BetBoom and Talon have claimed the Top 2 spots in Group B.

Meanwhile, the rest of the teams are still vying for the remaining nine Playoff spots. Just like the previous two days of the Group Stage, competition is cutthroat with four total ties across both groups.

Here's how all the action in day two of the Riyadh Masters Group Stage went down:

Quest, Spirit lead in chaotic Group A

Group A continues to see the most cutthroat competition in the Riyadh Masters Group Stage so far, as all but the top two spots in the group are being contested in three-way ties.

Quest sit comfortably atop the standings of Group A with a 8-4 record boosted by a strong day three outing, where they swept South America's Evil Geniuses (EG) before being forced to a 1-1 tie with fellow Western European squad OG.

The International (TI) 2021 champions Team Spirit hold sole possession of second place with a 7-5 record, having swept China's Xtreme Gaming and splitting their series with OG in day three. Barring disaster, Spirit are guaranteed an upper bracket berth in the Playoffs.

Meanwhile, the remaining six teams in Group A are locked in three-way ties for third and sixth place.

Reigning three-time Major champions Gaimin Gladiators, Eastern Europe's 9Pandas, and China's PSG.LGD are all tied for third place with 6-6 records apiece. On the other hand, EG, OG, and Xtreme are in a three-way tie for sixth place after each team only managed a 5-7 record so far.

Gaimin Gladiators, 9Pandas, and PSG.LGD are virtually locked for the Playoffs, though they are fighting for the remaining two upper bracket berths for the group. One of EG, OG, and Xtreme can still make the Playoffs, though they will have to start in the lower bracket, while the other two will be eliminated after the Group Stage.

The deciding matches for Group A in the final day of the Group Stage are as follows:

• Quest Esports vs PSG.LGD

• Evil Geniuses vs Xtreme Gaming

• Team Spirit vs 9Pandas

• Gaimin Gladiators vs OG

Looking at those matchups, we expect Gaimin Gladiators and 9Pandas to take the remaining upper bracket spots while PSG.LGD will be settling for a lower bracket start. Which team will take the final Playoff spot is a tough call, but from the way the teams are performing, EG look quite promising.

BetBoom, Talon secure upper bracket in tightly-contested Group B

While chaos reigns in Group A, a clear pecking order has more or less already been established in Group B.

BetBoom sit atop the standings with the best record of the Group Stage so far at 10-2. After a dominant 6-0 start, BetBoom's only losses so far came at the hands of Secret in day two. However, they were quick to bounce back with another perfect 4-0 outing in day three at the expense of Talon and Team Aster.

Speaking of Talon, they claimed an upper bracket berth by sweeping Shopify Rebellion to bounce back from their loss to BetBoom, which gave them a 8-4 record and sole possession of second place of their group.

The other two upper bracket spots for Group B are held by Team Liquid and Aster, who are in a tie for third place with 7-5 records apiece.

After their incredible turnaround in day two, Secret's momentum was halted after they only managed a 1-3 score in day three. Even so, they are practically locked for the Playoffs with a 5-7 record, currently set to start in the lower bracket but still have a puncher's chance of making the upper bracket.

Meanwhile, fighting to avoid elimination are North American squads Shopify Rebellion and TSM as well as reigning TI 2022 champions Tundra Esports.

Shopify Rebellion and TSM are tied for sixth place with 4-8 records apiece. Meanwhile, Tundra are at the bottom of the standings with a 3-9 record, notably after Martin "Saksa" Sazdov was forced to exit the tournament early due to mental health issues.

The final set of Group Stage matches for Group B are as follows:

• Talon Esports vs Team Liquid

• Team Aster vs Shopify Rebellion

• BetBoom Team vs TSM

• Team Secret vs Tundra Esports

We expect Liquid and Aster to claim the remaining upper bracket spots, forcing Secret and Shopify Rebellion to settle for a lower bracket start.

Unfortunately for Tundra and TSM, their current circumstances and day four matchups likely mean their run at the Riyadh Masters will end in the Group Stage.

Here are the results of all the matches in day three of the Riyadh Masters Group Stage:

Group A:

• Quest Esports 2-0 Evil Geniuses

• Gaimin Gladiators 2-0 Xtreme Gaming

• 9Pandas 1-1 PSG.LGD

• Team Spirit 1-1 OG

• Gaimin Gladiators 0-2 9Pandas

• Evil Geniuses 0-2 PSG.LGD

• Quest Esports 1-1 OG

• Team Spirit 2-0 Xtreme Gaming

Group B:

• Team Aster 1-1 TSM

• Team Liquid 2-0 Tundra Esports

• BetBoom Team 2-0 Talon Esports

• Shopify Rebellion 1-1 Team Secret

• Team Liquid 2-0 Team Secret

• Talon Esports 2-0 Shopify Rebellion

• BetBoom Team 2-0 Team Aster

• Tundra Esports 1-1 TSM

Here are the standings after day three of the Riyadh Masters Group Stage:

Group A:

1. Quest Esports: 8-4

2. Team Spirit: 7-5

3. Gaimin Gladiators: 6-6

4. 9Pandas: 6-6

5. PSG.LGD: 6-6

6. Evil Geniuses: 5-7

7. OG: 5-7

8. Xtreme Gaming: 5-7

Group B:

1. BetBoom Team: 10-2

2. Talon Esports: 8-4

3. Team Aster: 7-5

4. Team Liquid: 7-5

5. Team Secret: 5-7

6. Shopify Rebellion: 4-8

7. TSM: 4-8

8. Tundra Esports: 3-9

The Riyadh Masters Group Stage will be held from 21 to 24 July. Two groups of eight teams each, comprised of eight directly-invited teams and eight teams from the Play-Ins, will be battling in a single round-robin to be among the 12 teams advancing to the Playoffs.

The Top 4 teams of each group will earn upper bracket berths in the Playoffs while the fifth to sixth-placed teams will have to start in the lower bracket. Meanwhile, the bottom two teams of each group will be eliminated.

The Riyadh Masters Playoffs will take place from 25 to 30 July with a double-elimination format. All matches in the Playoffs will be best-of-three series except for the Grand Finals, which will be a best-of-five.

The Riyadh Masters 2023 is the biggest Dota 2 event this year outside of the 2023 Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season, featuring a massive US$15 million prize pool. The champions of the Riyadh Masters will go home with a handsome US$5 million grand prize.

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