The best teams to watch in the ALGS 2023 Championship

The final event of the 2023 Apex Legends Global Series arrives at the Resort World Arena in Birmingham, U.K., featuring the top 40 teams from across the globe. With defending champions, past Split winners, and newcomers to the LAN environment, many fans are wondering who to watch at this tournament.

To help new and returning viewers understand the chaos, we have created a tier list of all 40 attending teams, alongside a list of some of the most exciting teams to keep an eye on throughout all five days of competition. While all teams start the tournament on equal ground, prior LAN experience and current form can heavily affect the momentum and confidence a team performs with for the entire event.

Here are some of the hottest teams to watch throughout the ALGS 2023 Championship.

All ALGS 2023 Championship teams, ranked

The following list is not ordered within each tier, as we believe that each team in a tier has the potential to perform at a similar level with each other heading into the Championship. 

Just because the teams in D-Tier are rated lower than their opposition doesn’t mean that they cannot put up a fight against the top-tier squads. Each team attending the Championship has proven themselves internationally or domestically to earn their spot, and all will start on even ground in the Group Stage, regardless of seeding prior to the event.

S Tier

• DarkZero Esports
• TSM
• XSET
• Fnatic
• Moist Esports

The teams in this tier are considered S Tier, and at the top of their respective regions, with consistent standout performances domestically in the Pro League, and at the past LAN Playoffs. These teams stand as the benchmark for how competitive Apex should be played, with each player more than capable of making game-changing plays that can move the leaderboard in a single match. The individual and team stats are at the top of their region and have a rich history of past successes, such as previous 2023 playoff winners TSM and DarkZero Esports.

A Tier

• Alliance
• FaZe Clan
• Oxygen Esports
• Pioneers
• Gambare Otousan
• NRG
• OpTic Gaming
• LG Chivas
• Aurora

The teams in the A-tier are considered strong contenders to take home the Championship trophy, with the expectation to perform well at every stage of the tournament and make the Match Point Finals without any difficulties. Although not as dominant as the teams in the S-tier, the teams in this category know their unique strengths on each map, and can just as effectively capitalize on advantageous ring locations and rotations to chain kills and snowball a large point lead.

A-tier teams are strong contenders to be on top of the leaderboard at any given point during the Championship and are also strong picks to claim the Championship crown for themselves.

B Tier

• FC Destroy
• PULVEREX
• DreamFire
• JLINGZ Esports
• Acend
• BLVKHVND
• 100 Thieves
• Sentinels
• Complexity
• Element 6
• REALIZE
• ENTER FORCE.36
• RIDDLE ORDER
• Onic Esports
• Team Singularity

The majority of teams will fall in B-tier, for a majority of different reasons. Some teams may have only performed well during one of the Splits or attended a single LAN event, due to inconsistent results in the regular season. Others have started their momentum late into the season, after crucial roster changes or standout performances during the regular season.

Each team here has the potential to go on a winning streak and make a run to the Match Point Finals, but their success can entirely depend on their positive momentum in the Group Stage.

C Tier

• MDY White
• The Dojo
• DSG
• Iron Blood Gaming
• GoNext Esports
• SAF Esports
• Tom Yum Kung

C-tier teams stand as the gatekeepers of their regions, able to beat Challenger Circuit teams with ease, but can struggle against the speed and rotations of the highest-level squads. Half of these teams are attending for the first time, while others have attended at least one LAN, but fell out of the tournament early in the Bracket Stage, such as SAF’s 36th and MDYW’s 32nd in the Split Two Playoffs.

These teams have lower expectations compared to the upper echelon of squads, but have the potential to surprise viewers and upset the expected standings with one or two good games.

D Tier

• AREA310
• Les cités de France
• NORTHEPTION
• K1CK

The teams in D-tier all qualified from their respective regions’ Last Chance Qualifiers, fighting the last few slots to the Championship. Although they have the lowest expectations to perform, each team has the potential to shake up the leaderboards and upset the middle-of-the-table teams. AREA310 and Les cités de France stand out as unsigned free-agent rosters, who are attending LAN for the first time and could be heavily pressured by the new offline environment and the dynamic play styles from each region’s top teams.

Best teams to watch at the ALGS Championship

The Dojo

An orgless NA Challenger Circuit team that features one of Apex’s earliest and greatest stars, The Dojo is led by Timothy “iiTzTimmy” An, alongside Alexander “Enemy” Rodriguez, formerly of Oxygen Esports, and Tyler “Dezignful” Gardner, from Elev8 Entertainment. The Dojo has the star firepower and knowledge of a Tier One Pro League team, fully embracing the strengths with an aggressive space-taking playstyle, unafraid to take fights, and confident in their abilities to outgun their opposition.

Throughout the Last Chance Qualifier, The Dojo won five games, the most out of any teams participating, and claimed their ticket to LAN in a game six finals victory. They did all of this while setting LCQ records, getting the most kills in a single game at 21 kills, alongside 137 points in the opening Winner’s Bracket, more than double second place’s final total at 66 points. Despite only playing together for three months, The Dojo stands as one of the biggest LCQ threats in the tournament, and could easily spoil some of the top teams’ placements with just one good game.

Alliance

The kings of EMEA, Alliance have always stood as one of their region’s consistent pillars domestically and internationally, able to easily control the flow of battle through smart early rotations and creative strategies using unorthodox legends to claim space and control the final rings.

Alliance has never become complacent in their success, as they continue to set their eyes on an international trophy with each event, falling just short with fifth and ninth place finishes at the Split One and Two Playoffs. However, despite their past performances, the Championship might prove to be their hardest challenge yet.

One week before the event, Effect revealed that his visa had not yet been approved for the tournament, which could spell disaster for the team’s preparation. Alliance has already started scrimming with their substitute member, Mikkel “Mande” Hestbek, in case Effect’s visa is not approved, a repeat situation from the Split One Playoffs.

Additionally, Alliance’s landing POI on World’s Edge is permanently contested by The Dojo, as both teams are in Group C and will either have to find a new drop spot or take a 50-50 chance for half of their LAN games—an uncertainty that can spoil Alliance’s chances at an international crown. However, if there’s one team that can defy the odds no matter the setbacks, it will be Alliance.

NORTHEPTION

One of Japan’s and APAC-N’s biggest esports organizations, NORTHEPTION’s ALGS year has been a constant rollercoaster, with some of the highest peaks and lowest drops in performance. Both Pro League Splits saw NTH as the only close competition to regional giants Fnatic, following behind them in second place by only a few points each time. Many fans and spectators saw them as the next upcoming superteam that could make an international impact.

However, NTH’s success would take a turn for the worse on the LAN stage, as they failed to live up to their hype in both Playoffs, immediately dropping to the Loser’s Bracket and being eliminated in 28th and 30th place respectively. 

Following their disappointing performances, NTH made multiple roster moves, starting with the benching of ReyzyGG and the release of Taida. In their place for NTH’s LCQ run were Rei “Lykq” Yokoyama from NAKED and Reichi “L1ng” Baba from FENNEL player. Only team captain satuki stayed from the moves, as the new iteration of NTH once again cleared their way through the LCQ without any problems, punching their LAN ticket by coming second, only beaten by Crazy Raccoon.

The third time may be the charm for NORTHEPTION, who look to a new LAN run, complete with an overhauled roster. NTH’s tenacity and competitive fire to keep trying despite hitting their all-time lows could be the key to their success, motivated by having nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

Team Singularity

South America has had a tumultuous season, especially when you consider the path of their best player, Felipe “Elysium” Zapata’s status. Team Singularity stood out as the best SA team throughout Split One by a wide margin, directly competing with the best international teams and placing 11th at the Split One Playoffs. However, the entire region would be shaken when Elysium announced his retirement following the Split, after three years with the team.

Team Singularity would bring in Matheus “B1N” Ribeiro from GØDFIRE to replace Elysium, but would ultimately fail to qualify for the Split Two Playoffs, after taking seventh place in the Pro League, two spots off from another LAN appearance.

Despite not making the Split Two Playoffs, Team Singularity earned enough circuit points to directly qualify for the Championship. Four days after the Playoffs, SNG made one of the biggest roster changes leading up to Champs, as Singularity returned from retirement, once again ready to lead his team on an international stage.

South America has always been seen as one of the weakest regions in the ALGS, sending only three teams to the Championship, with Team Singularity as the only representative qualifying via circuit points. However, Elysium has already proven his ability to lead all the way to the Match Point Finals, and his return to the roster could be the exact motivation SA needs for their best-ever LAN performance.

Moist Esports

Moist Esports has stood as one of APAC-S’ powerhouse contenders, having attended every single domestic and international Match Point Finals since their signing on Sept. 6th, 2022. Known as one of the fastest rotating teams in the world, MST knows how to find their spot in the ring, and hold it down against invading teams, leading to advantageous final ring pulls and effective cleanup plays. MST tops their region for individual kill stats, and constantly shows up in every stage of any tournament, with sixth and seventh-place finishes at the Split Playoffs.

However, despite their successes, the roster would not fully stick together for the Championship, as Dylan “Prycyy” Price would part ways with MST following the Split Two Playoffs to step away from Apex, stating that the timing of his announcement would give the org enough time to find a new third for the Championship. Two weeks later, MST would acquire Cameron “Fussy” Clark from fellow APAC-S ONIC Esports, who had placed just behind MST at the Split One Playoffs in seventh.

Despite the sudden departure of Prycyy from the org, MST has had more than enough time to practice with and adjust to Fussy taking his place on the main roster. With their history of success, a fresh face on one of Apex’s most consistent rosters could prove the difference in breaking into the top five at the Match Point Finals or finally winning a LAN title.

The ALGS Championship starts on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 4am CT (10am BST) with Groups A and B, featuring teams like TSM, Fnatic, XSET, and DSG in the opening set of the tournament.