The London ALGS Playoffs are upon us today, with the best Alex Legends professionals battling for a slice of the $1m prize pool. Who should you keep an eye on this weekend, from the UK and beyond? Hannah Marie lists five.
The UK is hosting the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) LAN Playoffs for the first time this weekend. Teams have been landing in London over the past two weeks, with several bootcamping throughout the city ahead of the tournament.
Starting today (February 2nd 2023), 40 teams will compete in the Group Stage, before the double-elimination Bracket Stage on Saturday February 4th. The Match Point Finals will determine the winner on Sunday February 5th.
As the countdown to London ALGS Playoffs continues, here is Esports News UK’s guide on who you should watch out for from the UK and beyond.
UK Apex Legends players are at the top of their game ahead of the London ALGS Playoffs
Several prominent UK players will take the stage at the ALGS Playoffs, representing teams such as Pioneers, IG International, VZN, Element6 and Vexed Esports.
The following UK talent has been identified by professionals and fans alike as individuals to watch at the event:
Matthew ‘SirDel’ Biggins – Pioneers
SirDel has received significant attention throughout Split 1 of the ALGS thanks to his performance on Pioneers.
In Esports News U’sK interviews with TSM, coach Raven immediately identified SirDel as a standout UK player, stating that he is “probably the best one” regarding UK talent to watch for in the upcoming competition.
In his words: ‘I worked with him on GMT [Esports] last LAN, where we got 5th. He is a fantastic anchor player who has a great attitude, and he is excellent mechanically.’
Pioneers face additional challenges when they reach the Copper Box Arena, with their third player, Maksym ‘Max-Strafe’ Stadniuk, unable to join them at the London ALGS Playoffs from Ukraine. Furia’s Scott ‘Pandxrz’ Maynard will join them as a substitute.
Despite these last-minute changes, SirDel is guaranteed a force to be reckoned with.
Jake ‘Jmw’ Walters and Cameron ‘Noiises’ Walker – IG International
The two UK members of IG International, ‘Jmw’ and ‘Noiises’, have also been singled out by the likes of TSM and ‘Tyler’ from Vexed Esports. ‘Jmw’ is no stranger to the demands of the ALGS, having won the ALGS 2022 Split 2 Playoffs as a substitute for Reignite Esports (now Dark Zero) last year.
Following his 2022 win, he received international attention for his incredibly story, arriving at the event venue in Sweden in the early hours of the morning on his first day competing.
Noiises has also caught the eye of the Apex Legends community – including TSM’s Raven who told ENUK: ‘I also do believe noises is a fantastic IGL too, so we are really excited to see how IG [International] does… They just need to leave our POI [point of interest] and I’m sure they’ll do great!’
Oscar ‘Yuki’ Jiang – Alliance
‘Yuki’ has been playing for Alliance since 2021, earning a reputation as one of the best UK players in Alex Legends. Alliance placed 5th overall in the EMEA region’s Split 1 in November and December 2022 and also placed 3rd during the Regional Final.
TSM’s ‘ImperialHal’ – often referred to as ‘The CEO of Apex’ due to his revered skill and knowledge of the scene – indicated that ‘Yuki’ is a player worth looking out for in the upcoming tournament, saying that he ‘knows that Yuki is good online’ and confirming that Alliance may have a shot at the title.
Tyler ‘Tyler’ Wood – Vexed Esports
Apex Legends fragger ‘Tyler’ has also attracted attention ahead of the Playoffs, representing UK esports organisation Vexed.
Considered by many to be one of the best fragger players in the EMEA region, teams will have to watch for his aggressive plays throughout the tournament.
Securing 3rd place in the EMEA’s Split 1 over November and December 2022 places ‘Tyler’ and Vexed in a prominent position ahead of the competition. When asked whether this places more pressure on himself and the team ahead of the London ALGS Playoffs, he responded:
‘Going into playoffs, I am feeling pretty confident in both myself and my team – but it is a battle royale, and anything can happen. We will try our best, give it our everything, and give a performance we are proud of.’
Tyler, Vexed Esports
There’s more from Tyler of Vexed in this interview.
TSM bring fighting talk to the table ahead of London ALGS Playoffs
ENUK spoke to TSM’s coach and analyst ‘Raven’, player ‘Verhulst’, and revered Apex Legends player ‘ImperialHal’ as they prepared for the London ALGS Playoffs at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere, where Fnatic also held their Apex Legends London bootcamp.
TSM is long considered one of the titans of Apex Legends, boasting some of the best and brightest players in the scene. Currently, their team includes ‘ImperialHal’, ‘Verhulst’, and ‘Reps’, coached by ‘Raven’.
When asked about their experiences in London so far, ‘Verhulst’ expressed the teams enthusiasm at occupying the Red Bull Gaming Sphere for their bootcamp and how important their preparation is ahead of LAN. There’s the full interview with TSM’s Apex Legends team here.
Verhulst told Hannah Marie for Esports News UK: “It’s been pretty perfect so far – this is the best we could ask for. It’s quiet, there’s tonnes of space, we have the perfect setup… you can’t really ask for more when you’re looking for the perfect place to bootcamp.
“I think our preparation has been better than it ever has been before, and that contributes to our confidence more than anything else. I think our gameplan going into this is also better than before. We have set rotations for zone, we have an order of operations for each rotation, and I think that takes away a lot of the pressure.”
Analyst and Coach ‘Raven’ was particularly aware of the potential damage the UK’s top players could cause, particularly ‘SirDel’, ‘Noiises’, and ‘Jmw’. Despite facing a highly competitive lobby, TSM are heading into LAN with an assertive and bold attitude.
However, they also have incredibly high expectations of themselves. In the words of ‘ImperialHal’:
‘My mindset is, if we don’t get at least second place, we’ve lost.’
ImperialHal, TSM
The London ALGS Playoffs take place this weekend! Find out about the ALGS London schedule, streams and broadcast talent here, and follow Hannah Marie (who will be covering the event for us) on Twitter
Hannah is a writer specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for companies such as Lionscreed Esports, Esports Insider, and SideQuest Hub she has developed a love for wider esports and Apex Legends, although it may never surpass her drive to passionately beat her friends in every game of Mariokart. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ESI London, EGX, Discover: Esports and many League of Legends watch parties.
