ESL One Kuala Lumpur Begins!

The group stage of the final tournament of 2023, ESL One Kuala Lumpur, begins today. Twelve teams will compete for a share of $1,000,000 and EPT points, which are required for direct invitations to ESL tournaments, including the Riyadh Masters 2024.

Group Stage Format

In Kuala Lumpur, the twelve teams are divided into two groups, six in each, with the group stage running from December 11-13. All group stage matches will be held in Bo2 format. The two weakest teams in the group will immediately be eliminated, while the remaining eight go to the playoffs. 

The top two teams from each group make it to the Upper Bracket, while the third and fourth-place finishers advance to the Lower Bracket. If any tiebreakers were to happen, the matches would be played in Bo3 format for two teams or Bo1 format for three teams. 

Now, let’s go over the complete list of participants.

Group A

Gaimin Gladiators - Before Team Spirit, the Gladiators were easily the most dominant Dota 2 team. However, they fell short of winning the Aegis after taking second place at The International 2023. They are one of the few rosters that chose to stick together and are ready to get back into action. 

BetBoom Team - Another roster that chose to stick together. The BetBoom Team had a lot of rest during the off-season, so they might have practiced very little for Kuala Lumpur. Their LAN tournament results had always been inconsistent throughout 2023, but they had an excellent showing in the EEU Qualifiers for this tournament. 

Azure Ray - The Chinese squad completely overhauled their roster, switching three players. However, the new additions to their team aren’t no-names but, instead, very experienced and notable players. Still, this roster change has completely changed the structure of the team, and we’re not sure what Azure Ray is capable of.

Blacklist International - Filipino Dota is being taken seriously, as Blacklist International has formed what seems like the “dream team” consisting of players from the Philippines. They looked pretty shaky in the SEA Qualifiers, but with plenty of time to practice, the new Blacklist roster has the potential to deal some massive damage in the tournament. 

Team Secret - Almost everyone was disappointed at the new iteration of Team Secret, but Puppey didn’t care what anyone thought. He successfully led the team to Kuala Lumpur after a miracle Lower Bracket run through the WEU Qualifiers. Still, the competition will get increasingly more challenging, so let’s see if Secret can withstand the pressure.

Wawitas Sagazes - The South American representative is a team without an organization. This stack consists of ex-Evil Geniuses members Panda and DarkMago. Though they have some notable players from the South American region, we don’t fancy the team’s chances of making a deep run, but we’ll be happy to be proven wrong!

Group B

9 Pandas - The Pandas had a huge roster change, swapping two players and changing positions on RAMZES666. The team somehow made it through the EEU Qualifiers with the help of RodjEr, but he could not come due to personal circumstances, so the team brought their captain, Solo, back. With so much chaos ensuing in the team right now, we don’t think 9 Pandas can make it far. 

Tundra Esports - Just yesterday, Tundra Esports signed the ex-TSM roster. The North American squad nearly failed their Qualifier run against an entirely new Nouns roster, and Shopify Rebellion did not even participate. It’s hard to imagine that the team can make it to the playoffs because the competition in Group B is very fierce.

G2.IG - The new “Chinese superteam” was assembled under the Invictus Gaming banner. A few days ago, G2 Esports entered Dota 2 by merging with IG, forming G2.IG. The roster is no joke, with huge names in the Chinese region, including NothingToSay. We have pretty high expectations of the roster, but the European competition in Group B might prevent them from making it to the Upper Bracket.

Team Liquid - Now things get serious. Team Liquid looks like the undisputed leaders of the tournament, despite the absence of 33, who is replaced by SabeRLighT-. The team qualified for the tournament without dropping a single map, and without Team Spirit in the tournament, Team Liquid is one of the favorites to win the entire event. 

LGD Gaming - After losing NothingToSay, LGD did not despair, signed the legendary Mid Laner Emo, and brought in the experienced Pyw in place of planet. Overall, the roster looks solid on paper, and coach xiao8 has always made new rosters work. LGD skipped qualification and got a direct invite, so this will be the first time we see the new roster.

Team Falcons - Another contender for the Upper Bracket. With two TI winners and three highly mechanically skilled players, Falcons look to be a severe competitor in Kuala Lumpur. The roster had just won their first trophy, the Pinnacle: 25 Year Anniversary Show, just last week. Can they carry their momentum and convert their first big tournament?

ESL One Kuala Lumpur will be held from December 11 to 17 in a LAN format. Read more and get frequent updates on our Telegram channel!