Team Spirit wins Riyadh Masters, earns $5 million grand prize

William Davis Published 30/07/2023

In a repeat of their success at The International 10, Team Spirit came in clutch to win one of the biggest prize pools of all time at Riyadh Masters.

With the prize pool for TI likely to drop even further this year, Riyadh Masters could be the biggest purse for Dota 2 in 2023. With $15 million on the line, the best Dota 2 teams in the world pulled out all the stops with fantastic matches throughout the event. However, in the end, Team Spirit will walk away with the lion’s share after a decisive 3-1 finish over Team Liquid in the grand final.

Spirit’s run started in the group stage, as the team was directly invited to skip past the play-ins. The team performed fairly well in the preliminary, earning an 8-6 game record with just one loss to Quest Esports. While not a clear favorite to win, Spirit was already on the radar as a potential deep finisher. It confirmed suspicions with victories over Team Aster and BetBoom in the playoffs, with the latter being a popular pick to win on sites like Canadian GGBet.

The Russian-Ukrainian squad would meet Team Liquid, commonly considered the second-best team in the world, in the upper bracket final. A reverse 2-0 secured a spot in the grand final, which would also be against Liquid. The best-of-five series featured a particularly strong performance from soft support Miroslaw “Mira” Kolpakov, who ran team fights like a clock throughout the grand final.

Team Spirit now top ten earners after Riyadh Masters win

After winning the grand prize of $5 million at Riyadh Masters 2023, some of Team Spirit’s members now rank in the top ten highest-earning esports players of all time.

The list of top earners is dominated by Dota 2 players, with the first non-Valve MOBA pro appearing at rank 33. However, thanks to the $15 million prize in Riyadh, the very top tier is about to get shaken up. Thanks to their victory at The International 10, four of Team Spirit’s members were already in the top 20. Now they’ve leapfrogged most of the TI7-winning Team Liquid lineup into the top ten.

Team captain Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov is now ranked as the seventh-highest-earning esports pro of all time with $5,257,679.69 in proportional winnings. That puts him only below the double-TI-winning OG lineup and Kuro “KuroKy” Takhasomi. While Team Spirit haven’t always been a podium contender in the time between TI10 and Riyadh Masters, their sheer earnings prove that the squad is a monster in clutch situations.

Read Also

Dota 2

Team Yandex stop the magic, defeating LGD in BLAST Slam VII finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex have defeated LGD Gaming in the grand finals of BLAST Slam VII in a dramatic 3-1 series that saw both teams pushed to the limit, but ultimately Yandex come out on top. Concluding the last major tournament before teams head to the Esports World Cup and The International 2026 next month and in August, Yandex were able to counter the momentum of LGD that had brought them into ...

Dota 2

BLAST Slam VII Finals Predictions and Picks – Can LGD make it all the way? Michael Hassall LGD Gaming in the top three of a tournament!? What is this 2021? BLAST Slam VII has been one of the most surprising tournaments of the year, and has capped off the pre-EWC and TI season with some of the most thrilling gameplay we’ve seen in months. And the finals are set to be even more exciting. With just three teams left there’s a lot on the line, from the ...

Dota 2

Easiest Dota 2 Heroes for Beginners – Best Picks to Learn the Game Simon Day We can all agree that Dota 2 is a complex game, but starting with the right heroes can make the learning process much smoother. Choosing one of the best Dota 2 heroes for beginners is key to building your skills and enjoying your matches. That’s why it’s time to explore the heroes that are easy to understand, effective in the game and great for learning the fundamentals. Without going into ...

Dota 2

BLAST Slam VII Playoffs Preview – Visa issues transform the playoff picture Michael Hassall BLAST Slam VII is the last major tournament before teams lock-in and compete at the EWC and The International, and as a result, we’re seeing a tournament with some unique outcomes. With teams seemingly treating this as a last-minute tune-up before the championship clashes of the next two months, a South American team has topped the table and some of the best teams in the world are either without players ...

Dota 2

TI-Champions Tundra Esports exit Dota 2 as roster transfers to 1win Michael Hassall Tundra Esports has revealed it’s leaving Dota 2 after six years and a victory at The International 2022. The UK-based organization has announced its roster will transfer directly to 1win for future events. The announcement, posted on Tundra's socials on June 1, confirms rumors and earlier social posts from 1win which hinted at a new lineup. With the move, however, questions about 1win’s existing EEU roster and attendance at The ...

Dota 2

A full weekend of TI15 tickets will cost you just $280 – If you don’t mind the view Michael Hassall Alongside the team invites for The International 2026, Valve today (May 26) unveiled the pricing and details of how to purchase tickets for TI15, and the price is the lowest in years. For years we’ve seen the price of The International Prize, with a peak of around $700 as a lowest price for a full weekend for both 2023 in Seattle, and 2024 in Copenhagen. But after a fall in ...

Dota 2

Valve has announced the TI15 invites: Here’s why some team names are very different Michael Hassall It’s around three months until The International 2026, TI15, and Valve has just unveiled the direct invites and qualifier invites to the event, but eagle-eyed fans will notice some strange names in the team lists. Valve unveiled the invites in the small hours of the morning on May 26 (late evening on May 25 for their HQ in Bellevue, Washington), detailing the seven direct invites, regional qualifier invites, and some ...