Azure Ray wins ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023

Azure Ray defeat Gaimin Gladiator in the grand finals of ESL One Kuala Lumpur. Azure Ray won $300,000 and 4800 EPT points after winning this event.

With this victory of Azure Ray, the Chinese Dota 2 scene finally won something big in a long time in the Dota 2 pro scene and this was a refreshing sight for fans. This win was overall good for the Dota 2 global competitive scene as finally some other region than Europe won a tier 1 event.

Azure Ray vs GG: Grand Finals Results

Azure Ray and Gaimin Gladiator faced each other third time in the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 in the grand finals. In their first first two meeting, they shared the series wins, Azure Ray beat GG 2-0 in the group stage wheras GG beat Azure Ray 2-0 in the upper bracket finals.

On the final day of ESL One, Team Liquid and Azure Ray played each other in the lower bracket finals for the chance to reach the grand finals. Azure Ray beat Team Liquid 2-1 in a close series to secure their rematch against Gaimin Gladiators.

The grand final was an insane series and a delight for the fans. GG won the first two games and it was looking like an easy 3-0 win for the GG, they destroyed Azure Ray in the first two games. Azure Ray then answered back by tying the series after winning back-to-back games.

In the final series, Gaimin Gladiator was heavily out-drafted by Azure Ray as they picked a lineup with multiple saves against GG's carry pick of Faceless Void. And this out draft was clearly shown throughout the game, Azure Ray won the final game and completed their insane 3-2 reverse sweep against the winningest team of the 2023 year.

Azure Ray: Best Chinese Team

After winning the ESL One Kuala Lumpur, Azure Ray has become the best team in China. They have surpassed LGD as the best Dota 2 team from China, LGD Gaming has always been the top team from China.

Azure Ray also secured a top 4 finish in The International 12, 2023. After that they changed their roster by replacing their 3 biggest names, ESL One was their debut. This result was a surprise to them as they not only reached the grand finals but also won the entire event.

ESL One Kuala Lumpur: Leaderboard and Prizepool

The ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 had a total prizepool of 1 million USD and EPT points for the participating teams. The winner will get $300K and 4800 EPT points for the Dota 2 season.

1st	Azure Ray	$300,000
2nd	Gaimin Gladiators	$175,000
3rd	Team Liquid	$120,000
4th	BetBoom Team	$85,000
5th-6th	Team Falcons, G2.iG	$57,500
7th-8th	Team Secret, Tundra Esports	$47,500
9th-10th	Blacklist, LGD	$30,000
11th-12th	9 Pandas, Wawitas	$25,000