Gamers8 reveals format details for Riyadh Masters 2023

The ESL announced the new ESL Pro Tour for the 2023 season and noted that the Riyadh Masters would be played at the $45M esports festival. Therefore, event organizers immediately released details regarding the format for the Ryadh Masters, where $15,000,000 will be handed out.

It is the largest amount of money handed out in an esports tournament other than The International.

Teams will battle for the coveted spots for the Riyadh Masters 2023 in the DreamLeague S19 and S20, played in April and June.

Riyadh Masters 2023 – Format

Through their official Twitter account, festival organizers Gamers8 Esports announced the detailed format of the Riyadh Masters 2023, which will take place from July 17-30, 2023.

The format to be used will be as follows:

• Play-In Stage: 12 teams – 8 advance
• Group Stage: 16 teams – 12 advance
• Playoffs: 12 teams

Play-In Phase

In the Play-In phase, the 12 participating teams will be divided into two groups of six, playing in a Round Robin format. Moreover, all matches played in this phase are best-of-two (BO2), and the teams that finish first and second in each group advance directly to the Group Stage.

The remaining four teams are defined as follows:

• The third-place teams from each group face the sixth-place teams from the other group.
• The fourth of each group will face the fifth of the other group.

The eight qualified teams advance to the Group Stage with 16 participants.

Group Stage

As in the Play-In Stage, the teams are divided into two groups of eight in a Round Robin format. Similarly, the matches are played in a best-of-two (BO2) format. After this, the teams that finish first and fourth place in each group advance to the Upper Bracket of the Playoffs. On the other hand, those ending in fifth and sixth place advance to the Lower Bracket. Finally, the four teams (two in each group) finishing at the bottom of their respective groups return home empty-handed.

Playoffs

The twelve qualified teams will play each other in a double-elimination format. As mentioned, eight teams will start from the Upper Bracket and four from the Lower Bracket.

All the games played in the Playoffs phase will be best-of-three (BO3). Unlike the grand final match, which will be played in best-of-five (BO5).

There is no doubt that this tournament will be an excellent opportunity for all teams in their quest to be crowned champions at the highest competitive level and take home a juicy cash prize. On the other hand, this new edition of the Riyadh Masters significantly increases the prize money to be distributed. Remember that in the 2022 season, the accumulated prize was $4,000,000.

In addition, this tournament is part of the Gamers8 esports festival, which has a prize pool of $45M, a figure that triples the amount of the 2022 edition.

Header: Gamers8 Esports