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The upcoming Dota 2 Riyadh Masters 2024 boasts a handful of "underdogs." These less experienced teams may write their own competitive Dota 2 fairy tale provided they defeat prominent rosters or reach the tournament's finale. Among the 12 teams competing for group-stage spots from the play-in bracket, only a select few can be counted as underdogs. The eight group-stage direct invitees are undoubtedly not underdogs.
That cleared, here are our five underdog picks in Riyadh Masters 2024 who might go down in Dota 2 esports' history books.
Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer
The 5 best underdogs in Dota 2 Riyadh Masters 2024
1) Entity
Entity, despite not having any tier 1 silverware, is in the middle of an impressive road to The International campaign. This year, the team notably defeated the likes of Tundra Esports, Team Secret, and OG.
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In the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters 2024: Western Europe Closed Qualifier, Entity dominated the Upper Bracket and quickly advanced to the ESL tournament. The same happened in the TI 2024: Western Europe Closed Qualifier.
Entity's aggressive drafting usually includes Storm Spirit, Centaur Warrunner, Chaos Knight, Void Spirit, and so on. This drafting, cohesion, and other elements have been instrumental in the team's recent victories against top-tier opponents.
2) PSG Quest
PSG Quest's transition as a top contender in the MENA region, marked by its victories over the once-dominant Nigma Galaxy on multiple occasions, is an achievement in itself. Despite not qualifying for TI 2024, the team remains a formidable opponent, known for its meta-based drafting.
On its path to the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters 2024, PSG Quest faced regional rivals Nigma Galaxy in yet another Grand Final showdown and emerged victorious 3-1 for a spot in the play-in seeds.
PSG Quest's drafting style often revolves around heroes like Juggernaut, Slardar, Shadow Shaman, and others. The team's unfateful setbacks in the 2024 season include losing to teams like GG, Team Falcons, and Entity.
Also Check: Dota 2 Heroes Tier List
3) nouns
After a roster shuffle at the end of last year, nouns found itself amid a tough competitive Dota 2 landscape in North America. The team was defeated by the likes of Virtus Pro, beastcoast, and Shopify Rebellion, whose former captain now leads nouns' roster.
nouns' fortunes took a turn for the better when the team, with a tier 2 roster excluding Fly, surprisingly defeated Shopify Rebellion in the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters 2024 qualifiers. Subsequently, the side dismantled Shopify Rebellion 3-0 in the TI 2024: North America Closed Qualifier Grand Final.
nouns' drafting pattern revolves around team fight-based heroes, such as Dark Seer, Crystal Maiden, Phoenix, Magnus, and so on. Heroes that can not only disable but also control enemies are often used as trump cards by the NA team.
4) Heroic
Heroic's squad was revamped in January 2024 to compete in Elite League Season 1, ESL One Birmingham 2024, PGL Wallachia Season 1, and DreamLeague Season 24. Despite facing defeats and finishing midtable in these tournaments, the team partook in two qualifiers.
That's when its fortunes changed dramatically. In the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters 2024 South America Closed Qualifier, Heroic defeated its regional rivals, beastcoast, and qualified for the tournament. The same was repeated in TI 2024 South America Closed Qualifier.
Heroic's newfound form is a result of its unusual drafting style. From drafting Pudge in an Upper Bracket Grand Final game to fast-paced heroes like Juggernaut, Troll Warlord, and more, the team can outdraft its opponents in Dota 2 Riyadh Masters.
Also Check: Dota 2 Crownfall Act II The Deserts of Druud Guide
5) beastcoast
beastcoast shares a similar story with regional rivals Heroic, as its roster was also reshuffled at the start of the year. The new squad not only competed in tier 1 qualifiers but also in multiple tier 2 and tier 3 tournaments.
This consistent participation paid off in the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters 2024 Qualifier as beastcoast defeated BOOM Esports 2-0 in the Lower Bracket Final. The team also qualified to TI 2024 after defeating the same opponent in the South America Qualifier.
beastcoast has a diverse drafting pool that usually features heroes like Axe, Crystal Maiden, Pudge, Hoodwink, and more. The team may lack tier 1 game time, but its experience in tier 2 and 3 tournaments could catapult its performance in Dota 2 Riyadh Masters 2024.
