Image: ESL, PARIVISION, Team Falcons, BetBoom Team
ESL One Bangkok 2024 will be the last big tournament this year, but who will take the spotlight to close out 2024?
ESL One Bangkok 2024 is set to be the final top-tier Dota 2 tournament of the year, featuring 12 of the best teams from all across the world battling it out from December 9 to 15 in Thailand. A prize pool of $1 million will be up for grabs alongside a haul of 20,940 ESL Pro Tour points, which will guarantee invites to top-ranked teams in future ESL events.
Here's how we think how all 12 of the competing teams will fare in ESL One Bangkok 2024:
Favourites: BetBoom Team, Team Falcons, PARIVISION, Team Liquid
By far the biggest favourites heading into ESL One Bangkok are 
BetBoom Team, who are coming off a dominant victory in Dota 2 BLAST Slam I earlier this month. And while that was only their first tournament win as an organisation, their recent surge to the top might just mean that they will win their second in Bangkok.
Of course, 
Team Falcons and 
Team Liquid should always be considered in any conversation for tournament favourites this year. Falcons, even after some mixed performances, remain the most dominant squad this year in terms of tournament victories. Liquid, despite recently switching out 
Neta “33” Shapira for 
Jonáš “SabeRLighT-” Volek, are still this year's The International (TI) champions.
Then there's 
PARIVISION, who have finished in the Top 4 of all the tournaments they've played in the couple months they've been together. PARIVISION have already produced their fare share of upsets to achieve their results so far, so ESL One Bangkok might become their big breakout performance.
While the four teams in this tier are all really close in terms of strength, they have mostly outclassed the competition in the events they've been in. Time will tell if they remain on top in ESL One Bangkok but BetBoom, Falcons, Liquid, and PARIVISION will be the safest bets for anyone.
Contenders: Team Spirit, AVULUS, Gaozu, Natus Vincere
Not everyone can be tournament favourites, but the likes of 
Team Spirit, 
AVULUS, 
Gaozu, and 
Natus Vincere (NAVI) are still powerhouses that stand as good a chance as any to claim victory in ESL One Bangkok.
Spirit have been on a bit of a rollercoaster as they continue to integrate 
Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov and Aleksandr “rue” Filin, but they remain a constant threat. AVULUS are looking like another rising power in the bloodbath that is Western Europe, so teams would do well to be wary of this squad. Meanwhile, Gaozu remains one of the few bright spots in the struggling Chinese scene. This squad of veterans will be hungry to prove that China still has what it takes to compete with the likes of Western and Eastern Europe.
Then there are NAVI, who have acquired the PuckChamp roster in an attempt to return to relevance in Dota 2. With a roster of veterans and rising stars, NAVI fans in Thailand have good reason to cheer the iconic organisation's name in Bangkok.
Dark Horses: BOOM Esports, Shopify Rebellion, M80, Nigma Galaxy
Finally, we have 
BOOM Esports, 
Shopify Rebellion, M80, and 
Nigma Galaxy. These teams aren't pushovers by any means, as evidenced by the fact that they had to earn their spots in Bangkok through regional qualifiers. With that said, it's fair to say that they aren't in the same tier as the teams listed above.
BOOM Esports and M80 (formerly beastcoast) recently revamped their rosters in the post-TI shuffle, so growing pains are to be expected. Shopify Rebellion's roster have been together since September, but ESL One Bangkok will be their first LAN tournament together. Nigma Galaxy is Nigma Galaxy – while we can't expect the most stellar results from them despite the big names on their roster, they are sure to produce some entertaining matches.
Expect any of these four teams to produce an upset or two, but it's a bit of a long shot to say that they'll be fighting for a podium finish. Even so, their fans should look forward to flashes of growth in Bangkok that they can carry into next year.
ESL One Bangkok 2024 will be hosted from December 9 to 15 and is split into two distinct stages: the Group Stage, running from December 9 to 11, and the Playoffs, running from December 13 to 15. The Group Stage will only be broadcasted online, but the Playoffs will be hosted in front of a live audience in Bangkok's Royal Paragon Hall.
For everything you need to know about ESL One Bangkok 2024, check here.
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