Riyadh Masters 2023 format and invite system

The organizers of the Riyadh Masters 2023 have presented an invitation system for the tournament, boasting a prize pool of $15,000,000.

The Play-in stage will feature 12 teams, out of which 8 will proceed to the next stage. Matches will be played in a best-of-two (bo2) format.

11 of the top teams from the ESL Pro Tour rankings and the winner of the MENA region qualifier will be invited to the Play-in stage.

8 invited teams will compete with the winners of the Play-in stage for progression to the Play-offs. Teams will be split into two groups, with matches conducted in a best-of-three (bo3) format.

Gaimin Gladiators were the first to receive an invitation, thanks to their victory at DreamLeague Season 19. The finalists of DreamLeague Season 20 will also receive invites.

Following this, invitations will be handed out to the top five teams from the two previous DreamLeague tournaments. This way, 8 teams will receive a direct invite to the group stage of the tournament.

The top 12 teams will compete for a record Dota prize pool of $15 million. The 8 teams that rank first in their groups will compete in the upper bracket, while the teams ranking 5-6 will be in the lower bracket. The series will be played in a best-of-three (bo3) format, with the final in a best-of-five (bo5) format.