ESTNN brings you the biggest moments from the playoffs at the Riyadh Masters.
Now that the Group Stage of the Riyadh Masters 2022 was over, it was time to focus on the upcoming playoffs. Six of the ten teams that survived in the groups had to fight once again for the big prize pool. In case you don’t remember, this event has a jaw-dropping prize pool of $4M, which is crazy because it is not even a part of the DPC.
Speaking of crazy events, we had the chance to watch two epic series, and both of them were amazing. Following the end of the Group Stage, OG and Team Secret won first place in Group A and B. This allowed them to secure a slot for the Semi-Finals. However, before we could watch them in action, it was time for the Quarter Finals.
PSG.LGD had to face none other than Nigma Galaxy, one of the most dominating teams right now. As for the other series, the current TI champions had to go face to face with the winners in China’s Division I.
PSG.LGD vs Nigma Galaxy
This was the series that many people were waiting for because the two teams hadn’t faced each other since the AniMajor. PSG.LG was the best team in China for several years, but its latest performance in the DPC was not that impressive.
As for NGX, the team’s new roster seems to be strong because Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi and the rest did not lose a single game in Division II. Sadly, they had to play against one of the best teams in the world and failed to live up to the expectations.
Game 1
Nigma.Galaxy’s draft in Game 1 allowed the team to take fights all the time, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that Kuro and the rest took full advantage of it. Nigma’s aggression in the early game paid off because the team started pressuring its opponents.
Things looked really good for the European powerhouse because it secured every T2 tower and had a 7k+ net worth lead just 30 minutes after the start. Sadly, they made a lot of crucial mistakes that allowed the Chinese to bounce back.
After killing three heroes near their T3 tower, LGD took down Roshan and suddenly became the driving force in this game. As expected, their Faceless Void and DP became too strong and won the first map.
Game 2
After losing a game they should’ve won, Nigma Galaxy was furious and had no problems in the match’s second game. Syed “SumaiL” Hassan and the rest picked their deadly Bloodseeker and Zeus combo and used it to their full advantage.
After dominating the laning stage, Nigma accumulated an enormous lead that was too much even for the mighty Chinese powerhouse. Zhao “XinQ” Zixing and the rest tried to fight back, but they had no chance of winning. Even their powerful CK was not enough to stop Nigma, which is why the Chinese used the GG call after 22 minutes.
Game 3
Although Nigma dominated in games one and two, this was not the case in the third match of the series. PSG.LGD decided to stop messing around and pick some of the heroes that helped them qualify for the PGL Arlington Major.
As expected, LGD ripped through their EU rivals like a knife through butter and secured a jaw-dropping lead just 15 minutes after the stat. Nigma tried to fight back and secure space for their cores to farm, but LGD was the better team and won the match.
Their victory allowed them to qualify for the Semi-Finals, where they had to face OG. As for NGX, the team finished in the 5th/6th slot and got $200.000.
Royal Never Give Up vs Team Spirit
After the first Chinese team eliminated the EU powerhouse, it was time for the second one to go up against TI 10’s winner. This series was as interesting as the previous one, but in the end, Team Spirit won and secured a slot for the Semi-Finals.
Game 1
Game one between these two powerhouses was more interesting than the rest because it was almost one hour. Needless to say, every long game between two powerhouses is full of action, and this one was ot an exception.
Both teams had interesting drafts, but RNG definitely had the better team fight because TS focused on their Templar Assassin. This did not allow the team to play as aggressively, but in the end, TA got so powerful that RNG had no way of dealing with her.
Thanks to Bounty Hunter, Team Spirit managed to get an enormous net worth lead that was enough to help them win the game.
Game 2
Since RNG was just one game away from elimination, Lu “Somnus” Yao and the rest decided to use some of their hidden picks and got OD. Team Spirit didn’t want to risk, so the team got their signature Troll Warlord and Dark Seer Combo.
We expected Spirit to win the early game because RNG’s draft was stronger later on. However, this never happened because RNG was the better team and deserved to win. The Eastern European powerhouse had a few glimmers of hope after RNG made a mistake, but this was not enough.
Somnus and the rest became too powerful, and as expected, an overly-farmed OD had no problems dealing with Troll Warlord.
Game 3
Team Spirit didn’t want to lose this series, so in game three, they got Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk, his favorite Phantom Lancer. The Chinese tried countering him with Juggernaut and BM, but TI champions knew how to deal with those heroes and had little to no problems.
After the slow laning stage, Team Spirit slowly became incredibly strong. There was a point in the game where Phantom Lancer had almost double the net worth of Juggernaut, which was a clear sign that the EU team would win.
In the end, Spirit delivered its final blow and eliminated the winners of Division I in China.
You’ll find all the latest esports news, game guides and even Dota 2 betting tips right here on ESTNN.
