Renowned Dota 2 caster Aleksey “Lex” Filippov has shared his candid thoughts on the ongoing Riyadh Masters 2025 tournament, and his assessment following the group stage is far from glowing.
Taking to his Telegram channel, Lex expressed a significant lack of satisfaction with the overall level of competition. He remarked that the event:
“doesn`t feel like one of the main tournaments of the season yet.”
According to Lex, many top-tier teams appear to be playing “on autopilot,” lacking the intensity expected from a major competition. He singled out Parivision as looking “lost,” while paradoxically noting Heroic`s surprisingly strong showing, appearing like a “top-6 team” contrary to prior expectations. Team Liquid was highlighted as a rare exception, described as “stable” and perhaps the only team currently meeting expectations. For Virtus.pro (VP), Lex opted for a sympathetic, almost ironic, tone, stating he preferred not to comment, implying their performance was so poor it warranted pity rather than criticism – essentially, “don`t hit a man when he`s down.”
Beyond the in-game action, Lex also critiqued the tournament`s production and organization. He felt parts of the event conjured a “comeback to 2015,” describing the organization as “raw” with “enough mistakes.” Despite the evident scale and investment, he perceived a lack of “soul” in the presentation.
The Riyadh Masters 2025 is a key part of the larger Esports World Cup 2025 festival, running from July 8 to August 24 in Saudi Arabia. This extensive event features championships across over 20 disciplines with a massive total prize pool of $70 million. The Dota 2 portion, Riyadh Masters 2025, takes place from July 8 to July 19, featuring 16 teams competing for a $3 million prize pool.
Despite his criticisms, Lex holds out hope that the tournament will “pick up” and gain momentum during the upcoming playoff stage. His commentary provides a frank perspective on the initial phase of what is billed as a premier Dota 2 event, suggesting that while the stakes are high, the performance and presentation have yet to fully meet expectations.
