Why was Zer0 benched from the Falcons Apex roster?
The Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) community had a lot to say about the move to bench Rhys ‘Zer0’ Perry from the Team Falcons Apex roster. From confusion to “I told you so,” a mixed response emerged.
While Team Falcons have a reputation for roster changes in some of their other titles, such as Counter-Strike, the Falcons Apex roster has maintained the same core since they signed their first three players in May 2024. So, what went wrong?
Picking apart the recent tension surrounding the Team Falcons Apex team
Up to September 10th, the Team Falcons Apex Legends roster had two core players, Phillip ‘ImperialHal’ Dosen and Zer0. Both are the undisputed best IGLs in Apex Legends history.
However, toward the end of their time competing on Team Falcons, it was evident that tensions were rising within the team. A closer look at the team and players’ histories paints a clearer picture of why this was the case.
Who had been a part of the Team Falcons Apex roster?
On paper, it appeared as though Team Falcons signed a “superteam.” However, this “superteam” vision quickly disintegrated when the reality of team dynamics set in.
Zer0 won two Playoffs trophies and the 2022 ALGS Championship. He has also won several regional ALGS Split titles, spanning both the APAC-South (Asia-Pacific South) region from his home in Australia and North America.
ImperialHal, often nicknamed “the CEO of Apex,” is equally as successful. He has also won several Playoffs trophies, the 2023 ALGS Championship, and multiple North American regional Split titles.
He previously played on TSM’s most successful roster with Jordan ‘Reps’ Wolfe and Evan ‘Verhulst’ Verhulst.
Both are considered to be the most successful IGLs competing in Apex Legends.
When they were initially signed to the Team Falcons Apex division, they were joined by Zer0’s teammate of several years, Noyan ‘Genburten’ Ozkose. The two had travelled from the APAC-South to the North American region together.
The only other player who has been active on this roster is Ben ‘Wzltzy’ Walton, who remains with ImperialHal after Zer0’s departure.
It was with Wxltzy that Team Falcons finally secured an ALGS title, the May 2025 ALGS Open.
What went wrong with the first Team Falcons roster?
Team Falcons did not have a smooth journey into Apex Legends. After the 2024 ALGS Split 2 Playoffs, it was clear that the team were not settled. They finished 20th in the tournament, at the bottom of the Finals leaderboard.
Then, in a seemingly very sudden fashion, Genburten was dropped from the team. He revealed in a livestream that he was given no notice. Additionally, the brutal cut from the Falcons roster came a mere six days before roster lock for the ALGS 2024 Championship.
In an unprofessional twist, Genburten did not even find out from his teammates. Nor did he find out from Team Falcons staff. Instead, he found out through the person who would become his new teammate, Timothy ‘iiTzTimmy’ An.
Following this revelation, ImperialHal spoke out, claiming he and Zer0 were attempting to look out for Genburten, trying to ensure his North American visa was processed before he left the organisation.
Wxltzy was signed shortly after.
Zer0 and Genburten had achieved a lot together. As a result, the breakdown of their duo status was astronomical and marked a significant shift in where Team Falcons were moving.
Goldilocks and the three IGLs
What has made the Team Falcons Apex roster unique, and simultaneously questionable, is the fact that since Genburten’s departure and Wxltzy joining, the team has been comprised of three IGLs.
Although Wxltzy has traditionally been a fragger, he did IGL for a short period of time. Both ImperialHal and Zer0 are strong IGLs.
Now, one of the two IGLs has left the team. Apparently, having an IGL-heavy team doesn’t work out.
Controversial crashouts – Zer0’s IGL style
It is fair to say that no IGL has quite the impact as Zer0 – for better, or for worse. Zer0 has long been recognised for his aggressive IGL style, as demonstrated by an infamous clip of him screaming repeatedly at one of his former teammates, Nicholas ‘Sikezz’ Odom.
More recently, a clip circulated from ImperialHal’s pre-Midseason Playoffs livestream. The clip showed Zer0 losing composure, accompanied by Wxltzy stating, “I’m not gonna play today, I’m not gonna play today. You can find somebody else. I can’t be f*cked.”
This prompted further verbal bashing from Zer0 regarding how “you can’t just throw a god spot for free, then b*tch.”
After the initial verbal spat, there was a loud crashing sound followed by a rant about their performance at Skyhook.
Needless to say, the team was on edge. Following the crashout and their inability to win the ALGS Midseason Playoffs, Team Falcons was rumoured to be planning roster changes as the Apex Legends roster season started.
Despite these rumours not coming to fruition during the transfer window, Zer0 has now been benched by Team Falcons after the first two weeks of the ALGS Pro League.
Who will replace Zer0 on the Falcons Apex roster?
Since Zer0’s benching, ImperialHal has confirmed he will return to the IGL position. This means that the team ideally needs a support or anchor-type player to rebalance the roster.
Given his previous success as an IGL, the move will likely be a massive benefit to Team Falcons on esports betting sites and in the Competitive Apex community’s Global Power Rankings.
Now that roster lock has passed, it is difficult to know who would be willing to join the team mid-season.
Humorous puns from fellow Apex Legends pro, Casper ‘Gnaske’ Præstensgaard, have certainly been an entertaining thread to follow. However, they are unfortunately linguistically fantastic rather than factual.
Nevertheless, ImperialHal has confirmed that their third player is secure and will be announced after the weekend of September 13th and 14th.
Until then, all potential replacements for Zer0 will simply be rumours.
For Zer0, it is unknown whether he will seek a new roster. However, he did mysteriously post a meme of someone breaking free of chains with “shhhh” emojis on September 10th, the day of his benching.
Evidently, Zer0 wants to move on from his turbulent time at Team Falcons.
Where his new journey will take him, however, is yet to be seen.
Stay Updated with the Latest News
Get the most important stories delivered straight to your Google News feed — timely and reliable
From breaking news and in-depth match analysis to exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content, we bring you the stories that shape the esports scene.
Monthly Visitors
User Satisfaction
Years experience
Latest Apex Legends ALGS
Trending Stories
More to explore
