Once again, the Gaimin Gladiators faced off against Team Liquid in the grand finals of Riyadh Masters 2024, a matchup that has become quite familiar in recent years. Despite our hopes for Liquid to emerge victorious and add an exciting twist to the storyline, it was not meant to be as GG emerged victorious after just 3 games.
Credit: Esports World Cup
History repeating itself at Riyadh Masters
For those following the pro Dota scene, it was a relief to see Team Falcons not securing another victory, giving hope to other organizations participating in the Club Championship. However, it meant another disappointment for Liquid, as they were once again outplayed by GG in the grand finals.
The first game was a quick defeat for Liquid, surrendering after just 24 minutes as Beastmaster and Broodmother proved too strong for their Morphling and Monkey King picks.
In the second game, Liquid showed some signs of competitiveness, but GG’s last-minute pick of mid SF disrupted their strategy, veering away from the expected matchup against Invoker.
Despite a better showing in the third game, Liquid couldn’t withstand GG’s dominance, resulting in a 3-0 victory for GG, reminiscent of their first encounter at the Lima Major.
As Europe continues to dominate the scene, with GG securing yet another win, the question arises if any other region will ever break this streak. While China has shown some improvement in recent tournaments, the Riyadh Masters was not their event, with G2.IG and Azure Ray placing at the bottom of the standings.
With Elite League Season 2 on the horizon, there’s hope for a shake-up in the pro Dota scene. Perhaps this time we’ll witness a different outcome!
