Cover-Credits:
A recent turn of events caught the Dota 2 community by surprise as Team Aster, one of the participating teams in the Riyadh Masters 2023, posted a photo of its practice room on Twitter. However, some keen-eyed fans zoomed in on the image, revealing a surprising sight on the PCs: Google Chrome and Spotify apps were visible on the desktop.
This discovery reignited discussions about past incidents at the Bali Major 2023, where the use of these very apps led to dramatic penalties and disqualifications. The irony of finding the same applications at another Tier-1 tournament has led to fans speculating about its potential use during the matches.
The Unexpected Discovery in Riyadh Masters 2023
As the teams arrived at the Riyadh Masters 2023, Team Aster shared a photo of the team’s practice room which showcased the PCs provided for the teams, which seemed to be very high-end.
Some fans in the Dota 2 community took the initiative to zoom in on the PCs in the image to get a better view of the apps on the PC. This showed Google Chrome and Spotify apps on the PCs. Fans and analysts quickly noticed the irony of the situation, as these seemingly harmless applications had triggered significant consequences just a few weeks prior at the Bali Major 2023.
The Bali Major 2023 Controversy Revisited
The Bali Major 2023 witnessed two noteworthy incidents that involved the use of Google Chrome and Spotify during competitive matches. Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko of BetBoom was caught alt-tabbing to watch a livestream during a technical pause. This led to the player’s disqualification and the team saw its 2-0 victory against Tundra Esports overturned.
Meanwhile, Neta "33" Shapira of Tundra Esports was penalized for using Spotify during a technical pause, resulting in a draft penalty for the team.
These controversies led to discussions about the importance of clear communication between players and organizers regarding what applications are permissible during matches.
The Riyadh Masters 2023 is set to begin soon and many fans are eager to witness the tournament as it has one of the largest prize pools for any Dota 2 tournament, aside from The International, at USD $15,000,000. The recent discoveries by the fans have become a topic of interest for the Dota 2 community due to the irony of finding these apps on the PCs at the Riyadh Masters 2023, which in turn had led to controversies at the Bali Major 2023. As the tournament progresses, fans and players alike will be keenly observing how the organizers address this situation.
