The Apex Legends Global Series is returning to London, England this week as the 2023 ALGS Split Two playoffs LAN event kicks off on July 13. The very best Apex players in the world will compete, but which ones should you pay attention to?
With 120 players dropping into World’s Edge and Storm Point to battle for the lion’s share of a $1 million USD prize pool, we’ve picked a few must-watch players. From seasoned veterans to the most exciting up-and-coming prodigies in Apex Legends, here are our players to watch for the ALGS Split Two playoffs.
Our 8 must-watch players at the ALGS 2023 Split 2 playoffs
Fnatic YukaF
As the leader of APAC North’s number one squad, Fnatic’s Yuga “YukaF” Horie is not a player to sleep on. The 19-year-old IGL has proven he has what it takes to lead his team to consecutive victories over their region this year whilst also topping the APAC North charts for kills while he was at it, according to Apex Legends Status.
This is in no small part due to his now-legendary movement skills in combination with his excellent aim. During this year’s ALGS Split One playoffs, the young captain put up 14 kills and 13 assists himself during the Finals matches alone. YukaF’s playstyle is intelligent and tricky, making him a fearsome opponent for even the best squads in the world
TSM ImperialHal
This is a boring pick, but they don’t call him the CEO of Apex Legends for nothing. While Philip “ImperialHal” Dosen has had his ups and downs during his career in the ALGS, there’s no denying that the current incarnation of TSM he leads is in great form right now.
Alongside Evan “Verhulst” Verhulst and Jordan “Reps” Wolfe, ImperialHal and TSM won this year’s Split One playoffs right after taking home the North American Pro League trophy in Dec. 2022, and they have maintained a top-ten placement through results in other LAN events as well.
It’s clear that Hal is a key part of this squad’s success; Verhulst has previously praised his IGL’s calling during key matches, and ImperialHal taking the Monster Energy MVP award during this year’s Split One playoffs shows that his experience and skill are still as sharp as ever.
Hal particularly seems to thrive whenever he enters as an underdog or if the crowd is rooting against him, so we expect to see him maintain his form even under the intense pressure of attempting to go back-to-back in London.
ATHXHVY Vlatow
ATHXHVY is an entirely Brazilian squad composed of Lucas “Vlatow” Torres, Ezequiel “asleep” Gomes Rocha, and Luan “TriNITYzy” Felipe. They have shown significant improvement between Splits this year, jumping from a sixth-place finish in the South American Pro League for Split One to finishing runners-up in Split Two.
When it comes to the squad’s firepower, Vlatow is front and center. The young Brazilian racked up the most kills and assists of the three during this most recent Split. If he is able to perform at this peak during this week’s Split Two playoffs, we expect him to be a dangerous opponent in any lobby.
JLINGZ Esports Naghz
Ali “Naghz” Naghawi made a splash during this year’s ALGS Split One playoffs, where he and his former teammates Zaine Kazi and Ameer “VJEIX” Hassan made a respectable run through their first LAN under the JLINGZ banner. While they bowed out in 22nd place, the LAN experience the team will have gained will be invaluable for their second LAN event this week.
After new additions Cameron “Noiises” Walker and Jake “Jmw” Walters joined in March, Naghz has been able to shine, with the squad finishing fifth in the league leading up to playoffs. With a penchant for getting double-digit kills during matches, we’re expecting to see Naghz and JLINGZ pop off in front of their home crowd again.
Related: Apex Legends star player forced out of ALGS Split 2 Playoffs due to last-minute visa issues
XSET Nocturnal
XSET have been pioneers in the Apex Legends space since their days under the Team Liquid banner in early 2022, and Brandon “Nocturnal” Singer is a key part of that game-changing legacy. While coach Harris “hodsic” Hodzic is often credited with strategies like using Loba on Storm Point, Nocturnal has consistently stepped up for this team when they’ve needed him the most.
For example, despite battling a nasty anxiety attack during the final day of last year’s North American Pro League, the former TL squad crushed the day, with Nocturnal walking away with 13 kills on his own across the day’s six matches. Noc is nothing if not a professional when it comes to playing Apex and is clearly able to perform under immense pressure—be it internal or external.
This year has been no different, with Nocturnal showing off a combination of excellent calling and sniping skills during this year’s North American Pro League. Once XSET gets on the LAN stage, Nocturnal will definitely be one we expect big things from.
PULVERX Ftyan
Japan’s Takumi “Ftyan” Kanasashi, alongside his former teammate Kochi “Lejetta” Naoto, won over the community during last year’s ALGS Championship after making a valiant two-man run through the tournament’s losers bracket after losing both of their teammates due to COVID-related issues.
Though Fnatic has been dominating in the APAC North ALGS league—the top spot for both splits—PULVERX has managed to qualify for the Split Two playoffs in no small part thanks to Ftyan. His heroic performances during the 2023 regular seasons led PULVERX to the top for placements in each game and most second-place finishes in their region, leading us to name him one of the current top ALGS players.
NRG Gild
During his Team Liquid days in early 2022, NRG’s Zachary “Gild” Dennis was often hailed as a prodigy. The now 20-year-old made enough of a splash in the competitive scene with TL that he was brought onto NRG in August of that year to complete the squad of Chris “sweetdreams” Sexton and Nathan “Nafen” Nguyen.
Since Gild joined NRG, the team has won several B-tier events and claimed second place in this year’s Split One playoffs. He alone landed 16 kills and 11 assists during the finals of Split One and remained a constant threat all throughout Split Two.
Gild’s raw skill has been honed with experience at LAN events, which, in combination with sweetdreams’ calling and Nafen’s versatility, should mean great things ahead for the young NRG star.
Alliance Yuki
Alliance has been the darlings of EMEA ALGS for a while now, showing that though the region has underperformed at big events, one EMEA rep is able to consistently stand toe-to-toe with the rest of the world.
Related: Kings without crowns: Alliance Hakis and Yuki think ALGS Split 2 Playoffs is their time
Oscar “Yuki” Jiang has been no small part of that legacy. He joined the squad back in 2021 and has been a consistent performer for them ever since. Alliance took home fifth place at the Split One playoffs this year and went on to win the EMEA league for Split Two. During the EMEA Split Two finals, Yuki put up 14 kills and 14 assists, with an impressive 7 kills during the ninth and final game to help the squad over the finish line.
We have no doubt that Yuki will continue to be a strong force in favor of Alliance at this tournament, especially if the squad finds themselves with their backs against the wall.
