Cover-Credits:
Belarusian professional Dota 2 player Dzmitry "Fishman" Palishchuk, currently affiliated with Entity, has stirred the Dota 2 community by sharing unverified information on his Telegram channel on 27th November regarding the potential prize pool for the upcoming Riyadh Masters tournament.
In the post, Fishman hinted at the possibility of the upcoming Riyadh Masters 2024 to feature an unprecedented $45 Million USD prize pool. If this is true, it would surpass The International's (TI) prize pool. Notably, Riyadh Masters 2023 already surpassed The International 2023 in terms of prize money.
The International which had a reputation for having one of the highest prize pools in esports concluded with a prize pool of $3,380,455 USD at TI12. Whereas Riyadh Masters 2023 boasted a remarkable $15,000,000 USD prize pool.
Fishman's Telegram message read, "A new era of cybersports? Heard next tournament in Riyadh [Riyadh Masters] 45 million, could be." [Translated using DeepL]
Riyadh Masters 2024's Rumored Prize Pool & Its Implications
The potential implications of such a substantial prize pool for Riyadh Masters are significant. It would firstly position the tournament as a frontrunner in the Dota 2 competitive scene. Teams would undoubtedly vie fiercely for a share of this substantial purse, promising an elevated standard of gameplay on a global stage, equivalent to TI.
While The International holds its unique allure, with players aspiring to etch their names into Dota 2 history, Riyadh Masters could emerge as the next pinnacle event in the esports calendar. The unconfirmed nature of Fishman's information leaves room for speculation, but the prospect of a $45 Million prize pool is tantalizing for the Dota 2 esports community.
In an intriguing context, Saudi Arabia announced plans to organize an Esports World Cup starting next year, featuring the most popular games globally and boasting the largest prize pool in esports history, as reported by Sportstar on 23rd October 2023. Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, expressed the country's commitment to becoming the premier global hub for gaming and esports.
“The Esports World Cup is the natural next step in Saudi Arabia’s journey to become the premier global hub for gaming and eSports,” Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a statement.
Given that Riyadh Masters is slated to be part of the Esports World Cup, the notion of a $45 Million prize pool is not entirely implausible and could align with Saudi Arabia's ambitions to bolster the esports sector, potentially generating tens of thousands of local jobs.
At the time of writing this article, this prize pool number given by Fishman remains speculative and unconfirmed. Therefore, followers of Dota 2 esports must take this information with a pinch of salt.
