The format of the Extreme Masters Global Challenge Dubai saw the teams divided up into five seeding pools of two teams each, with two local qualifiers to be added later. Those were then used to draw two groups of six teams. After the teams in each group have all played each other the first placed team will advance to the best-of-3 single elimination playoffs. The second and third placed teams will play a relegation match and if they win will also progress to the playoffs.

The seeding pools looked as follows:

Pool 1: fnaticMSI, SK Gaming
Pool 2: Wemade Fox, Vitriolic Gaming
Pool 3: mousesports, Team ALTERNATE
Pool 4: MeetYourMakers, k23
Pool 5: Virtus.pro, KerchNET

From these the draw was made and the following groups arrived at:

Group A

KerchNET
Meet Your Makers poland
Team ALTERNATE
WeMade FOX
fnatic
local qualifier

Group B

Virtus.Pro
k23
Mousesports
Vitriolic Gaming pl
SK Gaming
local qualifier

The pools seemed straight forwards enough, though a case could be made Mouz and WeMade Fox should have been swapped. The actual drawing has been a little surprising though. Group B is by far the hardest with SK, Mouz and Vitriolic in the same group. These are by most accounts three of the top 5 teams in the world right now, especially when one considers mTw.dk's current unknown state. This will also allow Virtus.Pro and k23 a prime scenario in which to play the spoiler as if they can manage even a single upset they may seriously affect the outcome of the tournament for any of those three huge names.

Meanwhile in group A fnatic are the clear cut favourites with WeMade Fox perhaps expected to get to a relegation match but a huge dogfight forseeable for the third spot.