In a spectacular display of skill and adaptability, Saudi esports giant Team Falcons continued their winning streak by defeating European favorites Gaimin Gladiators in the grand finale of DreamLeague Season 23 last night (5/26). Despite the mid-tournament shake-up brought by the 7.36 meta, which forced every team to readjust, the Falcons demonstrated they were a step ahead in terms of preparation.
This victory was particularly sweet for the Falcons, serving as revenge against the Gladiators who had bested them in the upper bracket showdown just two days earlier. Even more significant, it secured their spot in the upcoming Riyadh Masters 2024 this summer.
While fans eagerly anticipated the performance of Falcons’ prodigy Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf, it was Stanislav “Malr1ne” Potorak who truly shone in the best-of-three series. After missing out on PGL Wallachia Season 1, the Russian player proved his indispensability, showcasing his versatility and strategic prowess.
The first round saw the Falcons dominating from the start, giving Gaimin Gladiators little room to breathe. Though Quinn “Quinn” Callahan had his moments early on, the game quickly turned one-sided as Malr1ne wreaked havoc with his Dragon Knight, racking up an impressive 46 kills and leading his team to victory in under 30 minutes.
Game 2 was another masterclass from Malr1ne, this time with Razor. Despite GG’s efforts to ramp up the pressure, they couldn’t match the Falcons’ rhythm and objective control. A late-game defense by GG at the 30-minute mark was futile, as the Falcons had already built an 18k net worth lead. Thirteen minutes later, Malr1ne and ATF cornered GG in their base, pushing the Falcons to match point.
With momentum on their side, the Falcons went all out with an aggressive draft in game 3, featuring Malr1ne on Timbersaw. The first 15 minutes saw both teams trading blows, but Malr1ne often emerged unscathed, creating space for his teammates to capitalize. Less than 30 minutes later, the Falcons had seized control of the map, forcing a GG call from their opponents to close the final game with a 38-23 victory.
The Green Falcon army will take home the $300,000 grand prize from the $1,000,000 total prize pool, along with 6,000 ESL Pro Tour (EPT) Points. Now that DreamLeague S23 is over, the EPT Leaderboard is set, and the top eight teams are heading straight to the Riyadh Masters this July.
