The Esports World Cup (EWC)—formerly known as Riyadh Masters—is back for its fourth edition this month and stands as the final boss before The International 2025. From July 8, 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams will clash for a cut of the $3 million prize pool.
Here’s everything you need to know about Dota 2 EWC 2025, from the schedule, format, and teams, to expert betting predictions to help guide your picks.
Dota 2 EWC 2025 Schedule & Format
The Dota 2 EWC 2025 will run from July 8-19 at Boulevard Riyadh City in Saudi Arabia. The tournament unfolds across three phases: Group Stage (July 8-11), Elimination Stage (July 12-13), and Playoffs (July 16-19).
It all starts in the round-robin Group Stage that splits the teams into four groups of four. Each squad will play a two-game series, with the group winners securing a direct spot in the Playoffs. The remaining teams will go to the Elimination Stage for a shot at redemption.
From there, it’s an all-or-nothing dogfight, as teams battle through a brutal gauntlet bracket to snag a spot in the final stage. The four teams that make it through will join the group winners in the Playoffs for a deadly single-elimination bracket to decide who will wear the EWC 2025 crown.
Prize Pool Distribution
Here’s how the prize pool and Club Points will be distributed at the Dota 2 EWC 2025:
| Place | Prize Money | Club Points |
| 1st | TBD | 1,000 |
| 2nd | TBD | 750 |
| 3rd-4th | TBD | 500 |
| 5th-8th | TBD | 200 |
| 9th-12th | TBD | – |
| 13th-16th | TBD | – |
| Totals | $3,000,000 | 3,550 |
How To Watch Dota 2 EWC 2025
Can’t make it to Riyadh? No sweat! All the Esports World Cup 2025 matches will be broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube, with in-depth coverage, analysis, and commentary that puts you in the heart of the action.
If that’s not enough, you can also watch and place live bets on our Dota 2 betting page!
Teams Competing In Dota 2 EWC 2025
There are 16 Dota 2 teams competing at EWC 2025, including defending champs Gaimin Gladiators and Asian Champions League victor Xtreme Gaming. They’re joined by the top eight teams on the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) leaderboard and the six regional Road to EWC Qualifiers winners.
- Gaimin Gladiators
- Xtreme Gaming
- PARIVISION
- BetBoom Team
- Team Spirit
- Team Falcons
- Team Liquid
- Tundra Esports
- Talon Esports
- Aurora Gaming
- Natus Vincere (Western Europe Qualifier)
- Shopify Rebellion (North America Qualifier)
- Execration (Southeast Asia Qualifier)
- Virtus.pro (MESWA Qualifier)
- HEROIC (South America Qualifier)
- Team Yandex (Eastern Europe Qualifier)
Our Predictions For Dota 2 EWC 2025
There’s no telling who will take the W in Riyadh, but that won’t stop us from making educated guesses! Here are our picks of the top contenders at EWC 2025 and why we believe they’ll go all the way.
Important: These predictions reflect the perceived strength of teams based on historical trends and the latest available odds. This analysis should not be interpreted as betting advice. Past performance does not guarantee future outcomes. Always gamble responsibly.
PARIVISION
PARIVISION has been on a tear this season. They sit atop the EPT leaderboard with a string of dominant performances, like placing 2nd at PGL Wallachia Season 4 and 1st at both ESL One Raleigh and DreamLeague Season 26. Their run at DreamLeague was nearly spotless, dropping just two maps and sweeping BetBoom 5-0 in the Playoffs.
While their stable roster has laid the foundation for success, PARIVISION’s real edge comes from a deadly mix of innovative strats, flawless synergy, and unreal mechanical skill. Their unpredictability and comfort with off-meta picks make them a nightmare to counter, and a serious contender at EWC 2025.
PARIVISION’s roster:
- Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov
- Volodymyr “No[o]ne-” Minenko
- Dmitry “DM” Dorokhin
- Edgar “9Class” Naltakian
- Andrey “Dukalis” Kuropatkin (Captain)
- Filipe “Astini” Ribeiro (Coach)
BetBoom Team
BetBoom is an exceptionally strong team, and their #2 spot on the EPT leaderboard proves it! Consistency has been a big issue, but they’ve delivered some mind-blowing performances. For instance, they placed 1st at FISSURE Universe Episode 4, 4th at ESL One Raleigh, 2nd at DreamLeague Season 26, and (most recently) 1st at PGL Wallachia Season 5.
That latest run was especially impressive. They dismantled Team Spirit 2-0 in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals and, despite later dropping to the Lower Bracket, bounced back by taking down NAVI. They then beat Spirit again and swept Liquid in a revenge match, all before closing it out 3-1 over Gaimin in the Grand Final.
BetBoom Team’s roster:
- Ivan “Pure” Moskalenko
- Danil “gpk” Skutin
- Matvey “MieRo`” Vasyunin
- Vitalie “Save-” Melnic (Captain)
- Vladislav “Kataomi`” Semenov
- Anatoly “boolk” Ivanov (Coach)
Team Spirit
Team Spirit has remained competitive this season and earned five 4th-place finishes at major events. While their only Tier 1 win came at DreamLeague Season 25, there’s a growing sense that the two-time TI champs have been holding back, saving their best for when it matters most.
That said, their disastrous run at PGL Wallachia Season 5 raised some eyebrows. A 2-0 loss to BetBoom in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, followed by a 1-2 knockout in the Lower Bracket Semis, has sparked debate about whether Spirit’s form is starting to slip.
Team Spirit’s roster:
- Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk
- Denis “Larl” Sigitov
- Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov
- Aleksandr “rue” Filin
- Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov (Captain)
- Airat “Silent” Gaziev (Coach)
Tundra Esports
Dyrachyo may be taking a break from his career, but Tundra has the firepower to pull off major upsets in Riyadh. Except for a shaky run at PGL Wallachia Season 5 where they were knocked out 2-0 by NAVI Junior, they’ve remained a consistent global threat with top-3 finishes at DreamLeague Season 25, PGL Wallachia Season 3 & 4, ESL One Raleigh, and BLAST Slam III.
As coach MoonMeander noted, Tundra’s biggest hurdle right now is their overly passive playstyle, prioritizing farm over pressure. If they can flip that switch, don’t be surprised to see them bounce back.
Tundra Esports’ roster:
- Remco “Crystallis” Arets
- Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov
- Neta “33” Shapira (Captain)
- Martin “Saksa” Sazdov
- Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon
- David “MoonMeander” Tan (Coach)
Who’s Your Pick In Riyadh?
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