TSM vs DarkZero: Who will be the next ALGS Champion?
Apex Legends Global Series Championship: Does TSM or DarkZero have the edge?
- ImperalHal and TSM have been playing with each other since 2019, with over four experiences under their belt.
- Zer0 and Genburten of DarkZero Esports have three title wins including the ALGS: 2022 Championship.
- The ALGS: 2023 Championship features 40 teams from around the world and will take place from September 6th to September 10th in London.
Year 3 of the Apex Legends Global Series is wrapping up with the final LAN taking place in London. Starting on Wednesday, September 6th, 40 teams from around the world are competing to be crowned the champions of the 2022-2023 circuit. In a battle royale like Apex Legends, anyone can come out on top, but if you ask most fans of the ALGS who will likely be taking home the title, you’ll get one of two answers; TSM or DarkZero Esports.
ImperialHal and TSM
Phillip “ImperialHal” Dosen and TSM are considered by most as the best in Apex Legends, the OGs. There’s a reason Hal earned the title as the CEO of Apex. Both ImperialHal and teammate Jordan “Reps” Wolfe have been playing together since June of 2019 under the TSM banner. Evan “Verhulst” Verhulst joined them at the end of 2021.
Under ImperialHal’s leadership TSM’s Apex Legends roster has 50 first place wins under their belt according to Liquidpedia, spread throughout several different tiers of competition. Including their first place win earlier this year in the ALGS: 2023 Split 1 Playoffs.
They narrowly missed repeating their performance in the ALGS: 2023 Split 2 Playoffs when they were the first team to hit matchpoint in the third game of the finals series. But DarkZero Esports swooped in and managed to pull out the win, bumping TSM down to second place.
Zer0 and DarkZero Esports
Despite having been together for just over a year as DarkZero Esports, their record at title tournaments is one of the most impressive in the ALGS. Led by Rhys “Zer0” Perry with Noyan “Genburten” Ozkose, these two joined DarkZero Esports together with former teammate Rick “Sharky” Wirth after winning the ALGS: 2022 Split 2 Playoffs under the banner of Reignite.
Two months later in the ALGS: 2022 Championship, now as DarkZero Esports they took first place again. During the Split 2 Pro League earlier this year, Sharky left the team and eventually they settled on their current third Rody “Xynew” Geissler who helped them snatch victory from TSM in the Split 2 Playoffs.
Now, with three titles under their belt, Zer0 and Genburten are vying for a fourth title and their second consecutive Championship win.
Who has the edge?
ImperialHal and TSM have the experience, they’ve been playing with each other for around four years, compared to DarkZero’s two and a half years if you go all the way back to Reignite. But DarkZero’s results speak for themselves, as they hold three titles in the ALGS to TSM’s one.
When speaking to Raynday from the ALGS Analyst desk he labeled TSM and DarkZero as the two teams to watch. Though he didn’t choose a specific one to take the win over the other, he did say that if anyone was to stop DarkZero it would be Hal and TSM.
“TSM is always a threat. They’re another team that thinks to win and not how to exist or how to not lose. They think about how to win,” Raynday compared TSM and DarkZero’s playstyles, pointing out that they’re always seeking out fights and eliminating threats instead of just trying to survive.
How to watch the ALGS: 2023 Championship
If you want to tune into the Apex Legends Global Series Championship all you need to do is tune in on September 6th through the 10th at the PlayApex Twitch Channel or on the official ALGS YouTube Channel.
Keep in mind that the Championship LAN is taking place in London, so the matches will be early in the morning for anyone in North America. Check out our guide on how to watch the Year 3 ALGS Championship.
