XSET re-enters Apex Legends by signing one of North America’s most dominant teams

One of the best Apex Legends teams in North America finally has a new home, and it’s with an org making a return to the scene.

XSET has signed the former Team Liquid roster, the organization confirmed today, including longtime IGL Brandon “Nocturnal” Singer, Brandon “FunFPS” Goombridge, offseason addition Nicholas “Sikezz” Odom, and coach Haris “Hodsic” Hodzic.

The new XSET team enters the regional finals on Sunday, Dec. 18 as a lock to qualify for the Split One Playoffs LAN, which will take place in early 2023, regardless of the results of the regional final. As one of the most consistent teams in NA over the course of the last several months, XSET will be among the favorites to take home top honors at the LAN.

XSET was last represented in Apex by the current free agent squad SZN, who competed under the org’s banner in the last season of ALGS play. The signing of the former Liquid roster represents XSET’s first steps back into the Apex scene since July 2022.

Nocturnal, Fun, and Hodsic were all a part of the Liquid team that exited year two of ALGS as one of North America’s strongest teams. Alongside Zachary “Gild” Dennis, the team took home $150,000 in the Split Two Playoffs by finishing in second place at the LAN based in Stockholm, Sweden. The team followed it up with a 12th-place finish at the ALGS Championship in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Following Gild’s departure to join NRG, the Liquid roster picked up controller fragger Sikezz for the third year of ALGS play and quickly saw their consistently high results continue in third-party tournaments and then ALGS play. Despite transforming themselves from also-rans in the first year of ALGS play to one of NA’s best squads, Liquid announced in September it was allowing its squad to field offers from other orgs.

Related: Liquid slams ALGS door on its way out, points to Respawn and EA as reason for withdrawal

Despite being in the strange position of looking for a team while still technically representing Liquid, the squad continued their run of results and will end the first split of ALGS year three as one of the best teams in the world.

The team has an average placement per game of 7.17, according to Liquipedia, the best mark in North America and sixth-best in the world. That type of consistency requires the team to constantly be around in the final zones of games, which bodes well for when they get to LAN and match point format. 

With their stable playstyle that emphasizes the team’s ability to consistently secure high placements, the former Liquid squad can easily lift the trophy at the Split One Playoffs. But if they do, they’ll be repping a different set than before.