Gaimin Gladiators Are The Riyadh Masters 2024 Winners

Last season, Gaimin Gladiators had a phenomenal start and dominated the first six months with ease, winning every single Major and looking like they were going to win the remaining tournaments as well.

But at Riyadh Masters 2023, they finished 4^th and were eliminated by a team they should have defeated with ease: Talon Esports.

In 2024, Gladiators continued to play Dota 2 with exactly the same roster and had a much weaker start. They finished 5^th – 6^th at the first three tier 1 tournaments of the season and then completely dropped the ball at ESL One Birmingham, where they were 11^th – 12^th.

These results seemed to indicate that Gladiators were headed toward a poor season and an impending series of roster changes. But immediately after, their situation started to change.

First they finished 7^th – 8^th at PGL Wallachia Season 1. Then they reached the Grand Final at DreamLeague S23 but unfortunately lost against Team Falcons 0 – 3. At 1win Series Dota 2 Summer, Gladiators reached the Grand Final again. This time they lost against Team Spirit 1 – 3.

Riyadh Masters 2024 Results

WHO LET THEM COOK?! 👨‍🍳

We deep-fried EL CLASICO, boiled some LIQUID dreams, and had spare time to FIRE UP THE CROWD. 🔥

We are your #RiyadhMasters and #EsportsWorldCup Champions! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/SPuYcdy98P

— GG | Gaimin Gladiators ⚔️ (@GaiminGladiator) July 21, 2024

Going into Riyadh Masters 2024, Gaimin Gladiators were listed by pundits among the favorites, but were certainly not regarded as a top-four team. Competitors like Team Falcons, WBG.XG, Team Spirit, Team Liquid, and BetBoom Team looked much stronger on paper.

Gladiators were supposed to be just a bit stronger than Tundra Esports and OG but in the end they proved to be the best Dota 2 team in the race.

Gladiators started in group A, where they had to compete against formidable opponents like Falcons, Spirit, and OG. The fact that they only lost one best-of-two series out of seven was an indicator that they had been underrated. On top of that, the team that defeated them was HEROIC.

Given that this team didn’t even qualify for the playoffs, this result could have been a fluke. And, indeed, the playoffs matches proved that it was.

In the final stage of the tournament, Gladiators won with four consecutive wins. The only opponent that managed to win one game against them was Team Falcons. Everyone else lost badly.

The Grand Final, against Team Liquid, was the nth rematch between these two eternal rivals. Gaimin Gladiators played numerous Grand Finals against Liquid and won all of them. This time it was no different. In a best-of-five series, Gladiators didn’t lose a single game, winning brief games with heroes like Invoker, Broodmother, and Chaos Knight.

Header: ESL, Esports World Cup Foundation