DOTA 2 has officially joined the lineup of the inaugural Esports World Cup, a brand new tournament series backed by the government of Saudi Arabia.
Teams will battle through the 2024 ESL Pro Tour circuit for the chance to qualify for the DOTA 2 Riyadh Masters event this July. With last year’s Riyadh Masters boasting a staggering $15 million prize pool and over half a million peak viewers, expectations are sky-high for this year’s tournament.
Summary
- DOTA 2 is officially part of the Esports World Cup 2024, with the Riyadh Masters tournament being the qualifier event
- Teams need to gather ESL Pro Tour points throughout 2024 to qualify, with the top 20 making it to Riyadh Masters
- Last year’s Riyadh Masters had a $15 million prize pool and peaked at 587,000 viewers
- The broader Esports World Cup will feature multiple esports titles and huge prize pools when it debuts this summer
- Saudi Arabia’s involvement in esports continues to draw “sportswashing” criticism regarding its human rights record
The Riyadh Masters will serve as the DOTA 2 component of the broader Esports World Cup, an Olympic-style gathering of top esports titles and teams from around the world.
The festival is the brainchild of Saudi Arabia’s leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who aims to transform the conservative Kingdom into a global hub for technology, entertainment, and especially gaming.
The country has invested heavily in esports over the past few years, backing major tournaments like Gamers8 (which has now been replaced by the Esports World Cup).
DOTA 2 teams will duke it out on the ESL Pro Tour throughout 2024 to earn points and secure qualification. The top 8 sides on the overall tour leaderboard will automatically qualify, along with 12 others from special regional qualifier events in May and June. This should make for intense competition among DOTA 2’s elite, all gunning for a spot at the final 20-team World Cup tournament.
Dota 2 fans, get ready to be swept off your feet 🌪️
The #RiyadhMasters is joining the #EsportsWorldCup, and @DOTA2 is about to take the #EWC by storm!
Which teams will be chasing glory in the biggest tournament esports has ever seen? pic.twitter.com/Kjt2rfX6MU
— Esports World Cup (@ESWCgg) February 5, 2024
Given the Riyadh Masters awarded a mind-boggling $15 million total in prize money last year, players and fans expect an even bigger reward in 2024. With viewership also hitting new heights, the DOTA 2 component alone should provide plenty of dramatic moments. Factor in several other unannounced esports titles and the debut Esports World Cup is shaping up to be a historic spectacle.
However, Saudi Arabia’s aggressive push into esports has also drawn criticism from many in the gaming world. Detractors allege the country is using esports tournaments to “sportswash” its controversial human rights record, which remains extremely restrictive towards women, LGBTQ groups and political dissidents.
It’s possible some teams or fans may boycott Saudi-backed events like the Esports World Cup in protest. But with the Kingdom continuing to pump vast sums of money into gaming, their influence over the booming esports industry looks set to only grow.
