Gladiators Survive Tundra Scare - Riyadh Masters Playoffs Day 3

Three teams exited the Riyadh Masters 2023 on the second day of playoffs. If you missed all the action, we’ve got you covered.

Quest Esports vs. PSG.LGD

The day started with Quest Esports playing against PSG.LGD. Quest had just lost a tight series against Talon yesterday and is seeking redemption. They were tasked with tough opponents for the day, or so we thought.

The series' first game turned out to be a total stomp, with Quest destroying the laning phase and carrying the momentum into the mid-game. Quest's fast tempo quickly punished PSG.LGD’s greedy Spectre lineup, and the WEU team closed the game only 33 minutes in.

Game 2 was similar, with all three Quest cores getting their hands on comfort heroes. PSG.LGD couldn’t get anything done on the map and had to GG out 35 minutes in. A complete stomp from Quest to send PSG.LGD packing.

Gaimin Gladiators vs. Tundra Esports

The day's highlight is undoubtedly the Western European standoff featuring Gaimin Gladiators versus Tundra Esports. Everyone thought it would be a walk in the park for the Gladiators, especially when Tundra was playing with a stand-in. However, we got a fantastic series and some high-tier Dota.

Tundra played exceptionally well in the first game, building up a 20,000 net worth lead by the 38th minute. It looked like Tundra would seal the game, but dyrachyo’s Morphling was silently farming. Somehow, the Gladiators completely turned the game around, pulling off an incredible 20k gold comeback to win the first game.

Despite the painful defeat in the first game, Tundra kept their mentality calm and stomped Gaimin in the next game. Tundra won Game 2 in 33 minutes, with a kill score of 27 to 4.

Again, in the third game, Tundra looked incredibly good and destroyed the mid-game. This time, they had a 27,000 net worth lead at 39 minutes, an even bigger lead than the first game. Tundra got way ahead of themselves, started diving under GG’s Tier 3s, and lost a big team fight. This team fight loss allowed the Gladiators to find a way back into the game, eventually winning it thanks to a tremendous late-game performance from dyrachyo’s Medusa. 

Tundra had the advantage in all three maps but couldn’t convert their lead into a win—a heartbreaking series for the boys who almost dented Gaimin Gladiator’s armor with a stand-in. 

Team Aster vs. Evil Geniuses

The day ended with Team Aster versus Evil Geniuses—King SumaiL against his old organization. Despite a lackluster performance from Team Aster yesterday, they stepped up their game and defeated Evil Geniuses with ease.

In Game 1, EG had firm control over the laning phase, but Aster quickly turned it around and took the net worth lead. Despite some throws here and there, the Chinese team maintained good control over the game and won it 42 minutes in.

In the second game, things were relatively even until the 32-minute mark, where Aster could win a team fight to take over the game completely. The lead became too big for Evil Geniuses, and they had to tap out, forcing an early elimination from the Riyadh Masters. Two tournaments in a row where EG got knocked out early.

Tomorrow, the day starts with Team Secret facing off against 9 Pandas, followed by Team Liquid versus Talon Esports, and ends with a CIS derby between Team Spirit and BetBoom Team.