The Esports World Championship (EWC) 2025 has delivered thrilling matches and surprising meta shifts, especially evident at the Riyadh Masters. As teams adapt to the evolving patch, certain heroes have emerged as dominant staples, while others have fallen out of favor. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the best and most challenging heroes of the tournament—highlighting who the pros trusted and who they avoided.
Top Most Picked Heroes at Riyadh Masters 2025
- Phantom Assassin
Known for her devastating critical strikes and ability to burst down key targets, Phantom Assassin continues to be a fan favorite. Her mobility and survivability make her an ideal carry, and many teams relied on her to close out games quickly. - Invoker
The quintessential mid-lane hero, Invoker’s versatility and crowd control remain unmatched. Skilled players exploited his wide spell arsenal to control fights and secure objectives. - Lion
With two disables and high burst damage, Lion was a highly prioritized support pick. His ability to lock down dangerous enemy cores proved invaluable. - Mars
As a durable initiator with strong teamfight control, Mars dominated the offlane role. His ultimate, Arena of Blood, often swung teamfights decisively. - Windranger
Windranger’s precision-focused gameplay, combined with her escape and disable, made her a strong pick in both mid and offlane positions.
Most Banned Heroes of the Tournament
- Spectre
Spectre’s late-game scaling and teamfight presence made her a terrifying prospect to face. Many teams banned her outright to avoid giving opponents a late-game powerhouse. - Terrorblade
Known for his illusion-based damage and pushing power, Terrorblade was often banned due to the immense pressure he places on all lanes. - Enigma
Enigma’s black hole ultimate can change the tide of battle instantly. His potential to control fights and split push made him a common ban. - Faceless Void
Faceless Void’s Chronosphere is a game-changing ultimate that can isolate multiple enemies. Banning him denied teams a key teamfight tool. - Monkey King
With his mobility and versatile kit, Monkey King often posed a threat in both early skirmishes and late-game fights, prompting frequent bans.
Best Performing Heroes: Why They Shined
- Phantom Assassin’s combination of mobility and crit-based damage allowed her to punish positioning mistakes, making her a consistent carry choice.
- Invoker’s adaptability enabled players to tailor his spell combos to different scenarios, whether for pickoffs or team control.
- Mars’ tankiness and initiation skills allowed teams to dictate fight timing, giving his side strategic advantages.
- Lion’s crowd control and burst damage was pivotal for disabling key enemy heroes at critical moments.
- Windranger’s mix of damage, disable, and survivability made her valuable in both offense and defense.
Challenging Heroes: Struggling to Find a Foothold
Certain heroes struggled due to the current meta favoring high mobility, burst damage, and teamfight control.
- Sniper, once a staple carry, found it hard to survive the aggressive pace and burst damage of the meta.
- Lina faced difficulties maintaining her lane against heavy harassment and early rotations.
- Nature’s Prophet was less effective as his split-push strengths were countered by frequent map control and aggressive warding.
- Medusa saw limited success due to the rapid tempo of games and heroes designed to shut down her scaling.
- Crystal Maiden’s lower impact in mid to late game resulted in her being less prioritized.
Meta Trends and What They Mean for the Future
The Riyadh Masters highlighted a meta revolving around:
- Early aggression and pickoffs: Heroes with disables and burst damage dominated.
- Teamfight control: Ultimate abilities that could swing fights were highly valued.
- Flexibility: Heroes who could be played in multiple roles gave drafts an edge.
Teams that mastered these elements found greater success, shaping strategies likely to influence future tournaments.
Conclusion: Meta Evolution at EWC 2025
The Esports World Championship 2025 in Riyadh showcased an evolving Dota 2 landscape, where aggressive, versatile heroes like Phantom Assassin, Invoker, and Mars thrived, while traditionally slower or scaling heroes struggled to keep up. As the meta continues to shift, players and teams will adapt, ensuring that each new tournament delivers fresh excitement and strategic innovation.
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