Ukrainian Apex pro who overcame power outages, Russian bombings may still miss out on ALGS LAN despite qualifying

The Ukrainian spirit is something else entirely.

Screengrab via Respawn Entertainment

We’re nearly in the second year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a war that has displaced millions of Ukrainian citizens. Some Ukrainians have chosen to stay in the country as it is continuously bombarded by Russian artillery and suffers from rolling blackouts. That hasn’t stopped one Apex Legends player from qualifying for the ALGS LAN, however.

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According to a tweet from Jake Lucky, Max-Strafe has been playing Apex from his Ukrainian home off the power of a neighbor’s generator. Thanks to that effort, his team qualified for the upcoming $1 million ALGS LAN competition. While this is truly impressive, it turns out he may not be allowed to leave the country in case he is needed in the fight against Russia.

Right now, it’s unknown if Max will be able to play in the ALGS, so his team has prepared an alternate just in case. There may be a precedent for Ukrainian professionals to travel briefly if it’s for a competition, including a previous VALORANT player, famous boxers, and the country’s soccer team competing in different events outside of the country.

If Max is unable to make it, then he will be subbed out by FURIA’s Pandxrs. In the meantime, Max has been thanking everyone for their support for Ukraine and is asking people to continue to send positive messages to the soldiers and people of Ukraine.

It’s impressive that even under the pressure of consistent military strikes and rolling blackouts, this player can still beat the odds and qualify for one of the biggest opportunities in Apex.

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Christian Harrison
Christian is a freelance writer of five years who's been with Dot Esports for over 15 months covering Fortnite, general gaming, and news. Some of his favorite games include Yakuza 0, The Witcher III, Kingdom Hearts 2, and Inscryption.