Best teams to watch at the ALGS 2024 Split One Playoffs

Who do you have your eyes on?

ALGS trophy with teams in background in Y3 Championship Finals
Screenshot via Apex Legends Global Series

The Apex Legends Global Series is back once again, with the Split One Playoffs heading our way on May 2. With a shared prize pool of one million dollars and $300,000 on the line for first place finishing, the same question arrives every Pro League split—who will take the crown?

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The 40 teams qualified for the Split One Playoffs have already been assigned groups and been busy in scrims and the Oversight Pro Series leading up to May 2. Let’s dive into our top picks for Split One Playoffs, who we think will likely win the entire event, and the best teams to look out for.

ALGS Year Four: Split One Playoffs tier list

ALGS Y4 Split 1 Playoff 40 team tier list
Who have you got in your number one spot? Screenshot via Tiermaker.com

We all know the most consistent teams when it comes to LAN wins are TSM and DZ. But can anyone step up to the plate and take these giants down? It’s difficult to predict who will get high placement, kills, and perform each match day to reach the finals on May 5.

LAN Winners

  • DarkZero
  • TSM

Top Contenders

  • Not Moist
  • Spacestation Gaming
  • Team Liquid Alienware (former Legacy)
  • Fnatic
  • Luminosity Gaming

Make Finals

  • Alliance
  • Disguised
  • Reject Winnity
  • o7
  • Legends Gaming
  • Elev8 Gaming
  • Oxygen Esports
  • Virtus.pro
  • Boogie Boarders
  • Tom Yum Kung

Could Qualify

  • Riddle Order
  • FURIA
  • Complexity
  • Cloud9
  • MDY White
  • wonton dumpling
  • Kinotrope Gaming
  • Northeption
  • Passion UA
  • Made in Heaven
  • Crazy Racoon
  • Serenity

Early Exit

  • OMiT
  • Heroez
  • Red Rams
  • 2 Rats 1 Controller
  • Natus Vincere
  • BR Demonz
  • Geared Gaming
  • HAO
  • Wmndy
  • Never to Change

Wildcard

  • Aurora

Top teams to watch in ALGS 2024 Split One Playoffs

There have been a ton of shock roster changes and ends for teams trying to qualify for Playoffs. Popular teams like XSET, OpTic, FaZe, and PULVEREX all failed to qualify. New teams with consistent pro players took their place like GKS (now Cloud9).

Here are our top teams to look out for in ALGS Year Four: Split One Playoffs.

The rivalry continues: Dark Zero and TSM

Verhulst flexes his muscles at the 2023 ALGS Split 2 Playoffs while teammate ImperialHal gazes on adoringly
Is it between DZ and TSM again? Photo by Joe Brady via Electronic Arts

The first and obvious pick to win the Split One Playoffs finals is either TSM or DZ. Much like debating between Messi and Ronaldo, the debate for the best Apex player in the world often ends on IGLs ImperialHal and Zer0.

Their strong respective team foundations of Reps and Verhulst for TSM and Genburten and Sikezz for DZ complete these rosters as the top two Apex teams based on winnings. Their respective consistency is reflected in how long their teams have been together, with Sikezz the only new roster member on either team in the last two and half years. The rosters also feature some of the best controller players in the game, and they fight like it. Will they be unstoppable again in match-point format?

Is this the year for sweetdreams? Luminosity Gaming

Sweetdreams sitting next to Nafen in ALGS
Will sweet get his win? Photo by Joe Brady via Apex Legends Esports

Often called one of the best IGLs in Apex, Sweet has shown a ton of consistency in his career with NRG and Rogue. While he hasn’t secured a win at LAN, there is good opportunity for him to do so this time around. Standing alongside the former Stallions, Fuhhnq and Slayr, the new Luminosity Gaming is looking incredibly good in the leadup to LAN.

Yes, there may be too many chefs in the kitchen with team communication at times while Sweet predicts the near future for every endgame, but if the comms are flowing and players are listening to one another, then LG could be a serious threat to DZ and TSM. The question arrives however—how will Fuhhnq and Slayr fare in their first LAN?

Liquid’s return could secure a win for Mexico

Two Apex pro players grasp a Mexican flag at the 2023 Apex Legends Global Series Championship.
A dominating team that deserves a win. Photo by Joe Brady via Apex Legends Esports

Recently listed under the Team Liquid and Alienware banner, the former Luminosity roster of YanYa, Neazul, and Jaguares are an obvious pick for top contenders. Knowing the ins-and-outs of LAN, this roster is one of the few that have stayed together for years. As rostermania took over Pro League, the worst YanYa and company handled was Luminosity shockingly dropping them.

But their chemistry never broke as this powerful, aggressive, and highly consistent team stayed together, battling it out as an orgless team in the leadup to May 2. A team since 2022, this roster is rumored to now be with Liquid, a returning giant to the Apex pro scene. Acquiring this team is an obvious choice if you ask me, and Liquid is definitely one to watch this split.

Definitely Not Moist: Can Charlie’s angels take the crown?

Emtee of Moist Esports walks past the ALGS Championship trophy as steam billows behind him.
Not Moist had overcome their own struggles to get here. Photo by Joe Brady via EA

Not Moist is former Moist Esports, consisting of Australian pros Emtee and Wxltzy alongside former Liquid and NRG star Gild. Achieving second place in Split One Pro League, Not Moist is the biggest threat to DZ and TSM. Unfortunately, Emtee and Wxltzy failed to get their visas for LAN, the organization subsequently dropped the roster so the players could enter the country and perform—and perform well they will.

Fnatic: The APAC North headliners

YukaF looks at his monitor at the ALGS Championship
Are mechanics enough against NA’s controller players? Photo by Joe Brady via Apex Legends Esports

APAC North rearranged their rosters during the ALGS off-season in 2023, with Fnatic switching things up and picking up two controller players from NORTHEPTION in satuki and Lykq. That fragging power is paired with some of the best MnK mechanics in the entire pro scene, YukaF, who’s an absolute nightmare to face with a Peacekeeper in hand. Players be warned when face-to-face with the Fnatic squad. I don’t want to curse them, but Fnatic should be a guarantee to reach the Finals.

Virtus.pro and Spacestation: The return of Sharky and Xynew

Sharky and Zer0 celebrate winning the 2022 ALGS Championship
Can Sharky (pictured left) overthrow Dark Zero? Photo by Joe Brady via Apex Legends Esports

Spacestation is an obvious team to watch, what with Phony’s consistently high placements in Pro League, Xynew’s LAN win on DarkZero, and Frexs’ wealth of experience. But my eyes are transfixed on Virus.pro this time around. I expect greatness from SSG and VP, but with the return of Sharky, a two-time LAN winner with DZ in the 2022 Split Two Playoffs and Championship, all eyes are on his return with frequent LAN attenders and iconic Team Burger members Prycyy and wey.

Clearly, DZ make winners, and all eyes should be on Sharky and Xynew’s performance in this split.

Tom Yum Kung: Aggressive play is in their blood

Z1CKKY waving at camera in ALGS
The strong but ridiculously underrated APAC South team. Photo by Joe Brady via Apex Legends Esports

Reformed from Iron Blood Gaming, Tom Yum Kung is one of the most underrated ALGS teams. Consistently performing with high placements for their region and heading into LAN with a first place finish in the APAC South Split One Finals and third in APAC South Pro League, Tom Yum Kung is a serious threat to other regions. Their sheer fighting power, likely strengthened by the team’s long history together, make them lethal against others that have less practice than them.

While Legends Gaming (former BLVKHVND) may take the ALGS scene by storm once again in this LAN, it’s uncertain whether excellent mouse and keyboard player EzFlashKIDZ has his visa approved in time or if Koyful is stepping in as a substitute. I hope both teams do well in this LAN, but if EzFlash can’t make it, I will focus on Tom Yum Kung for the APAC South scene.

Aurora: The Lifeline wildcard

Kiryl "9impulse" Kostsiu of Aurora Gaming at the 2023 ALGS Championship.
Will Aurora be different over Fire Beavers? Photo by Joe Brady via Apex Legends Esports

While Alliance may behave as a wildcard at times, the confirmation of Effect’s visa increases the team’s chances of reaching the Finals on May 5. In contrast, Aurora is known by most as a wildcard team, including DZ Zero placing them as wildcards in his and Moist’s tier list for LAN.

Often annihilating other competition in their region, Aurora has been inconsistent in previous LANs on their old Fire Beavers roster. Those inconsistencies are usually due to their own visa issues forcing them into substitutions and their off-kilter approach to the meta compositions, playstyle (not to mention the sheer amount of NA controller players the all-MnK team has to fight).

Now that Hardecki completes the team with 9impluse and ojrein, Aurora’s momentum on May 2 will mostly come down to whether they can continue their aggressive playstyle and perfectly utilize Lifeline in a Bloodhound-Bangalore-Caustic heavy meta.

Author
Image of Hadley Vincent
Hadley Vincent
Freelance Writer
Writer for Dot since Oct. 2023. Just a Psychology graduate trying to find the meaning of life through gaming. An enthusiast of indie horror and anime, where you'll often find them obsessing over a great narrative and even better twists that'd make M. Night jealous. Their shocking twist? They think The Last of Us II is a masterpiece.