In the cold, dark confines of the London Copperbox Arena, the echoes of Apex Legends Global Series Year 3 Split 1 Playoffs hung in the air like the remnants of a battle. The warriors, each a master of their craft, had gathered from far and wide, representing the top 40 teams in the world, all vying for their share of the $1,000,000 bounty, but one team rose above all.
The tournament commenced with the group stage on February 2nd and 3rd, a test of skill and strategy, where 20 teams would stand victorious and rise to the winner’s bracket, while 20 would fall to the losers bracket. On the 4th, the double-elimination bracket stage was held. A brutal three-rounds of combat where dreams were realized or shattered. The bottom teams from both loser’s bracket rounds were knocked out, their hopes dashed. Finally, the top 20 teams advanced to the Match Point Finals on Sunday, February 5th, where they battled for the ultimate glory.
In the harsh expanse of Storm Point, the opening salvo was fired by Evan "Verhulst" Verhulst of Team SoloMid, inaugurating the very fist match of the tournament. His thumbs blurring as he wiped out the entirety of Alliance following a tireless exchange of blows and counterattacks at the Wall.
He breathed loudly, the light of the monitors glinting in his glasses as he triumphantly pushed them back over the bridge of his nose. The crowd erupted into a chorus of cheers and applause, their roars echoing through the hall.
But the thrill of victory barely lingered in the air when danger emerged once more, shattering the elation, this time in the form of Team Flora coming to third party. Jordan “Reps” Wolfe, the seasoned anchor of TSM, was swiftly vanquished by the ruthless Pinotr. Their charge was brisk and brutal, but Phillip "ImperialHal" Dosen struck with the precision of a viper, felling the formidable Miak before Flora could make their next play.
The battlefield was a game of chess, each piece falling, each move signaling a surge in the balance of power. Just as the tide seemed to be turning in their favor, calamity struck TSM. ImperialHal was cut down by Yudu's deadly onslaught. His strength waning as he fell to the ground, leaving Verhulst standing alone against the encroaching storm.
Like a lone wolf against a pack of predators, Verhulst found himself locked in a deadly dance of one against two. His heart was a tempest, his mind a whirlwind of strategy and survival. With a swift CAR-SMG spray, he emerged from the shadow of a door, his bullets finding their mark on an already weakened Pinotr, sending him sprawling to the ground.
A moment's respite was all he needed, and Evan found it behind a sturdy door, his thumbs quickly working to activate a medkit. In the deadly silence that ensued, Yudu's Seer scan pierced the brief sanctuary, cancelling Verhulst's first attempt at mending his wounds. Yet, in the face of adversity, Evan remained steadfast, managing to heal himself just as Yudu leapt around the corner, a lion pouncing on its prey.
The scent of danger was strong, but Verhulst's resolve was stronger. Evan met his adversary's attack with a barrage of his own, a furious tempest that pushed Yudu back. He then set a trap, the enticing sound of a shield battery serving as the lure. The strategy was a dangerous one, a gamble with the highest stakes. But like a moth to a flame, Yudu fell for the ruse.
He lunged through the door with guns blazing. But Hal, though fallen, was not defeated. His knockdown shield sprang to life, a shimmering barrier of light that shielded Evan in the nick of time. Verhulst seized the moment, his CAR singing a deadly song that echoed across the battlefield.
Yudu was defeated, his fall a testament to TSM's resilience. As the dust settled, the echoes of the battle slowly fading, the crowd erupted into a frenzy. A cheer echoed through the air: “Big-E! Big-E!”, a chorus of admiration for the lone sentinel who had faced the storm and emerged victorious.
Their journey through the group stages was marked by a series of remarkable performances that heralded TSM’s potential. Each battle, each encounter, was a testament to their skill and tenacity. They fought with a ferocity that was as awe-inspiring as it was daunting. Every kill, every maneuver, every strategic play was a brushstroke in the grand canvas of their journey, which they painted with shades of courage, skill, and determination.
Later, In the heart of the looming storm, as the fourth match of Group B vs C came to an end, TSM found themselves once again locked in a deadly dance with their adversaries from Alliance. It was a battle for supremacy, a clash of titans that would shake the very foundations of the tournament.
The air was thick with anticipation, the foreboding silence before the clash broken only by the steely determination in ImperialHal's eyes as he brought down Hakis and then Mande, each defeat a symphony of power and precision. Yet, amidst the chaos, their comrade, the fiercely handsome Oscar "Yuki" Jiang emerged, his form a beacon of relentless prowess.
He was a vision of victory, his striking countenance a testament to the clutches he had effortlessly secured in the previous matches. The battlefield was his stage. He struck back with a vengeance, felling Verhulst and Reps, leaving Hal to stand alone against him in a climactic 1v1 duel that would echo in the annals of Apex Legends history.
Hal was battered and bruised, his defenses a fragile barrier against the coming onslaught. With only a fence between him and Yuki for cover, Hal extinguished the life of Hakis to claim his shield as his own, a stolen mantle of protection. Yet Yuki was unyielding, his bullets finding their mark and pushing Hal out from behind the fence to the protective barrier of Reps’ knockdown shield.
Yuki took Hal’s place behind the cover of the fence. As he rifled through the belongings of his deceased teammate for ammo, Hal seized the moment to rekindle his failing shields, while the clever Verhulst repositioned himself, offering Hal a knockdown shield at the edge of the fence.
With quick flicks of his nimble thumbs, Hal launched his Horizon gravity lift at the fence, propelling Yuki into the air and leaving him vulnerable. In a swift and fluid move, Hal slid from Reps' shield to Verhulst's, shattering Yuki's armor with a merciless burst of his Flatline, without suffering a scratch in return.
But Yuki was a seasoned warrior, in a brilliant maneuver, he swapped armors as Hal reloaded then used Mande's fallen shield to deflect Hal's offensive and return fire, cracking Hal’s defenses and turning the tide of battle in a heart-stopping reversal of fortunes.
Hal, his heavy ammo depleted, switched to his R-99, his last ten bullets ripping through Yuki's shield once again. In a desperate maneuver, Hal resorted to his fists, engaging Yuki in a brutal, hand-to-hand melee. Having switched sides with Yuki once again, he used the fence as cover, his fist his only weapon. Hal landed a second punch, then retreated into cover, biding his time, waiting for Yuki to make his move. One last punch would mean victory.
The stakes were higher than ever, both warriors were gravely wounded, teetering on the edge of defeat. With a scant six bullets remaining, Yuki realized Hal was out of ammo. He stood defiant in the open, his fingers dancing over the keys as he kept his distance. A silent challenge as the lethal circle closed in around them.
Yuki made an attempt to flush Hal out using Valkyrie’s missile swarm but Hal was well protected by his comrades’ shields. As the battlefield shrank to nothing, Hal was forced from his cover, stepping into the open to face his foe one last time. Yuki had one chance, one moment to strike.
And strike he did. With a final shot to the head, the deadly dance ended, the battlefield fell silent, and Alliance stood triumphant. The duel was over, the dust settled, and amidst it all, Yuki remained, the victor in a battle that would be etched in the annals of ALGS history.
In the grand tapestry of combat, each thread woven with the fervor of victory and the bitterness of defeat, TSM emerged not undefeated, but unscathed. Their spirits, though momentarily dimmed, were not extinguished. In the aftermath of their fall, they rose like the legendary phoenix from the ashes, their resolve stronger than ever before.
When the dust of the group stages settled, TSM stood on the pinnacle, their banner waving high above the others, symbolizing their triumph in the face of adversity. The defeat against Alliance was but a distant memory, overshadowed by the glory of their victory. It was a testament to their indomitable spirit, a testament to the passion that is the hallmark of TSM.
As they ventured into the winners bracket, the path before them was not paved with grand clashes and thrilling victories. There were no jaw-dropping maneuvers, no breathtaking last-minute saves. It was a journey marked by steady progress, a demonstration of their unwavering determination and strategic prowess.
Each match was a stream, flowing with the steady accumulation of points. They didn't need the roaring rapids of an eventful match to prove their worth. Their success was not measured by the fanfare of a crowd, but by the steady beat of progress, a rhythm as unyielding as their consistency.
In the heart of the arena, amidst the roar of the audience and the clamor of the competition, TSM emerged from the Winners Bracket in eighth place, a quiet but undeniable authority. They were not just survivors, but contenders for the crown, their sights firmly set on the grand finals that lay ahead. Their journey was a testament to their spirit, a narrative of resilience and determination that echoed in the hallowed halls of ALGS history.
In the tumultuous arena of the Match Point Finals, a narrative as old as competition itself unfolded between long-standing rivals, TSM and NRG. With a display of power as sweeping as a storm at sea, NRG dominated match four, becoming the first to achieve a 20 kill win in an ALGS Finals lobby and the first to reach the coveted match point.
Yet, TSM were not far behind, their resolve unyielding. They reached match point in the following match, and by the eighth match, with three other teams having joined them at the precipice of victory, it was TSM's moment to claim the crown.
The final game began with swift looting and a strategic move towards Thunderwatch. They took over the western side of the building as if it were their castle, their fortress in the midst of battle. Reps, as steadfast as a sentinel, anchored their position. With the massive presence of his manhood and a keen eye for detail, he utilized Seer’s passive ability to scout the battlefield, providing invaluable intelligence for his comrades.
Hal and Verhulst, meanwhile, acted as the bouncers of their stronghold, bullying any who dared to infringe upon their territory. With Jordan’s support, they repelled wave after wave, ushering several teams to their demise in the space beneath their building, including their perennial adversaries, NRG.
Just as the fourth ring was about to squeeze the battlefield and force them to reposition eastwards, Reps identified a skirmish unfolding overhead. This was their opportunity. Ascending like hawks to their high perch, they bullied the weakened teams away, clearing the western roof and establishing dominance.
Their crossing to the eastern side of the roof was interrupted by a sudden intrusion. A team landed before them, but their presence was fleeting. With the speed and precision of seasoned warriors, TSM dispatched them swiftly, demonstrating their ruthless efficiency. While his teammates healed, Hal surveyed the battlefield from his high vantage point, calculating their next move like a seasoned general.
His keen eyes spotted a fight across the map. Without hesitation, he decisively ordered a third-party assault. With Verhulst initiating the Skyward Dive, Hal instilled a surge of confidence in his team, declaring, "We win this game!"
They descended upon the skirmish like a storm, sandwiching the dominant team against the weaker one. Both teams fell beneath their assault, and TSM secured the advantageous 'god spot'. As they repelled a desperate attempt by a rival team to infiltrate their position, the remaining competitors fell one by one, like dominos, to the chaos of the final ring.
When the penultimate ring sealed shut, the final tableau revealed itself: TSM, standing alone against the formidable Team Acend. With both on match point, the victor of this duel would claim the tournament.
TSM held the high ground, their team composition better suited for combat. Victory seemed inevitable, yet Acend fought valiantly, trading blows from behind their makeshift barricade of rock and crate.
In a twist worthy of a grand epic, Acend's IGL, Francisco "K4shera" Alves, quietly attempted to flank Hal. K4shera’s shots fell short of breaking Hal’s armor, but they signaled his teammates to launch their assault.
In response, Hal deployed his gravity lift to soar above the battlefield, downing the weakened Postkill as he made his way to the high ground. Verhulst, flanking left, reduced K4shera to a sliver of health, while Reps flanked right and finished him off. The trio collapsed on Lufka from three directions, a coordinated assault that swiftly ended the encounter.
Hal, driven by a surge of adrenaline and euphoria, tore his headphones from his head, rising to embrace his teammates. Finally, the hour of destiny arrived. The thunderous applause of the crowd filled the air as TSM emerged as the champions of the Split 1 Playoffs. "For TSM!" Hal roared, his voice rising above the crowd's cheers, the echo of their triumph reverberating through the arena.
As TSM bounced together with ecstasy in the aftermath of their incredible victory, Phillip found himself dispassionate amidst the raucous celebration, the cheers of the crowd deafening in his ears. His eyes, however, were drawn towards one figure in particular - his coach and confidant, the stoic and resilient Raven.
As Hal moved towards him, the world around him seemed to blur into insignificance. Every cheer, every burst of applause, every congratulatory pat on the back faded into the background, replaced by the rhythmic thud of his heart that seemed to echo Raven's name.
Raven, who had stood by his side through every skirmish, every strategy session, every victory, and every defeat. Raven, who had been the calm in the storm of every battle they had fought. Now, they stood on the precipice of their greatest victory yet, and all Hal could think of was sharing this moment with him.
As he embraced Raven, their eyes locked. Hal could see his own joy, excitement, and relief mirrored in Raven's eyes. The world around them seemed to fall silent as they both dropped to the floor, Hal’s slender figure underneath the voluptuous weight of Raven’s. Hal reached out, gently taking Raven's face in his hands. Raven's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he didn't pull away.
"For us," Hal murmured, his voice barely audible above the din of the crowd. "For TSM."
With that, he leaned in, capturing Raven's lips with his own. It was a kiss filled with a multitude of emotions – relief, triumph, joy, love, but above all, passion. A shared passion for the game, for their team, and for each other.
As they pulled apart, Raven's eyes shone with unshed tears of joy, his usual stoic mask replaced by a soft smile. Hal returned the smile, his heart pounding with the enormity of what they had achieved together.
Their victory kiss, tender and emotional, was a testament to their journey. A journey of countless battles, shared victories, and unwavering commitment to each other and their team. It was a moment of pure joy, of shared triumph, and a promise of battles yet to come.
Under the roaring applause of the crowd, bathed in the bright, victorious light of the stage, the triumphant trio of TSM made their ascent with their coach. The path to the main stage, each step resonating with the echoes of their hard-fought battles, seemed to lead them not merely to a platform, but to a pinnacle of accomplishment.
The trophy, a gleaming beacon of their achievement, awaited them, standing as a testament to their skill, their resilience, and their unity. It was more than a mere object; it was a symbol, a monument to the trials they had overcome and the glory they had earned.
Each of them, Raven, Reps, Hal, and Verhulst, had been integral in this journey, each victory and loss shared among them. Now, as they stood on the precipice of their victory, they shared the final triumphant act as well.
As one, they reached out, hands coming together over the shining symbol of their triumph. The crowd held its collective breath as they, in unison, lifted the trophy high. It was a moment frozen in time, a tableau of triumph and camaraderie that transcended the borders of the game they had mastered.
The trophy gleamed above them, reflecting the bright lights of the stage and the fierce pride in their eyes. The crowd erupted into a cacophony of applause and cheers, the deafening roar of victory echoing through the hall. The journey had been long and challenging, but as they stood there, champions of ALGS, every battle fought, every strategy devised, every risk taken, felt worth it.
And so, the tourney ended, leaving behind tales of glory, valor, and unyielding spirit. TSM walked away with the lion's share of the prize, a whopping $300,000, with NRG and Acend securing the second and third spots respectively. But in the end, each of the top 20 teams had their share of the spoils, a testament to their skill and tenacity in the crucible of the ALGS Year 3 Split 1 Playoffs.

So as the title says here is my issue, I get randomly focused on a disappearing message window while gaming and it is really frustrating as I often play online PvP FPS games.
I tried updating my keyboard firmware and my Nvidia graphic drivers which are possible fixes I found online but the issue persists. I have done a full system scan with Bitdefender with no viruses or anything else were found. At this point I have no idea what to do so here I am asking for help.
A little side note, maybe someone who sees this and can help me out has seen how he fixed it, I was watching a stream from TSM Imperialhal (a big Apex Legends pro player and streamer) some months ago and he had the same type of issue but I have no clue how he fixed it.
So if anyone could help me fix this issue that would be amazing, gaming is my favorite way to unwind and relax so it would be great to have that experience not be hindered by this very annoying issue any longer. Thanks in advance to anyone who tries to help me out :)
(I think this is a software issue but it might also be a windows issue, who knows)
A note, none of my specs have changed right before nor the moment I started having this issue.
My hardware specs are as followed:
- AMD Ryzen 5800x CPU at 4,7GHz Boost clock
- NZXT Kraken something CPU cooler (the one with the LCD screen with your temperatures on it), 280mm
- Nvidia RTX 3070, Gigabyte Gaming OC edition (didn't change anything there)
- 2x G.Skill Trident Z Neo 16GB RAM sticks
- Asus Prime X570 Series Motherboard (not sure which one specifically)- Headset: Razer Blackshark V2 Pro, wireless
- Mice: HyperX Pulsefire Haste, wireless. Corsair Scimitar (black something edition).
- Microphone: HyperX Quadcast S, I also use Krisp for when I'm not using discord with integrated Krisp
UPDATE! it now also happens while not touching the keyboard and just watching a Youtube video while not full screen.

There has been a noticeable increase in posts within this sub stating that “player x has never been successful” or “I wish y had a chance on a better roster”. After 3 years of professional play in the title, there have been a lot of dominant periods for teams, and a lot of the names that made the upcoming LAN have seen success across the 3 years. However unless your name is ImperialHal, Reps, or Albralelie, a lot of the newer posters in the scene don’t have a grasp on the decorated and successful history that a lot of Apex Legends professionals have.
So, I have decided to write a brief history of the NA scene. If this goes well I will look at other regions, however my understanding of their 3 year history has a lot of holes, as well as there being language barriers, so that is going to take a bit more work.
For NA, I will be releasing this in 4 sections: Pre-COVID TSM Dominance, The Beginning of OT and Emerging Rivalries, OT Continues and New Blood Emerges, and The Return to LAN.
I will not be breaking down the individual history of every player or every roster. I will be more focusing on the top teams of each era, and long-term players / rosters who haven’t tasted the ultimate success but have a storied career. I am by no means an expert, and there are likely going to be pieces of information I miss. I’m happy to make edits based on other posters knowledge, just don’t be pricks about it 😊

Early TSM Dominance & The Beginning of Online Tournaments (June 2019 – August 2020)

Before tournaments headed online, and well before ALGS, there was a developing pro scene with several notable tournaments:
X Games Minneapolis Invitational(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCJKtIMzTBw)
15 teams were directly invited to participate, with the final 5 spots decided by open qualifications (2 from Europe, 2 from NA, and 1 from Oceania). There was no match-point format, 12 games were played in blocks of 6 across 2 days.
Apex Legends Pre-Season Invitational (Poland)(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_pAhp2OiTU&t=40125s)
In the first ever international Championship organised by EA and Respawn, 80 teams from across the globe were invited to compete in a double elimination bracket tournament, culminating in a Match Point Finals lobby (which went for 11 gruelling games – watching a zone heavy Wattson meta where teams struggled without EVO shields and everyone was running Disruptor rounds is pretty strange)
The first GLL Apex Legends Series(https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpA9xOblBM_XzxeVbXwbXpT_yXgJ6RbIG)
Region locked in NA and EMEA before the world finals and held completely online. Within the two regions, 10 invited teams and 10 teams who made it through qualifiers to play a best of 12 series across 2 days, the top 10 of each region qualifying for the International Finals. Unfortunately, due to uncertainty at the beginning of COVID, the International Finals never eventuated.
This era also saw the beginning of exclusively online tournaments, with the rise of COVID. In stepped the beginning of ALGS as we know it:
ALGS Summer Circuit(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XKWU5LPRkY)
9 Groups of 19 teams played 4 round sets, with the top 9 proceeding to Semi-Finals. At Semi-Finals, 4 groups of 20 played another 4 round set of games, with the top 8 of each lobby proceeding to the regional finals (16 NA teams, 4 SA teams). Regional finals were a 5 set match, with the top 3 automatically qualifying for Summer Playoffs.
This was then repeated 3 times before the 20 qualified teams faced off in a Match Point Format finals for the Americas, played on both King’s Canyon and World’s Edge.
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TSM (Cage / Fuel Depot -> Frag East)
Players ImperialHal (IGL / Wraith) Albralelie (Fragger / Pathfinder) Reps (Support / Wattson)
Results X-Games – 1st Pre-Season Invitational – 1st GLL – 1st ALGS Summer Circuit – 10th
It would be remiss of me to not mention TSM across any of the 4 eras, however their performance in the Pre-COVID era was nothing short of being completely unrivalled. There isn’t much that needs to be said about the results that this roster saw during the first Apex era; they won a gold medal in the X Games, they placed 1st in Poland, and won the inaugural GLL Apex Legends series.
This was a culmination of finding the perfect combination of players, which is a very impressive feat given that Hal’s only knowledge of Reps and Albralelie came from their results in spam queue pub lobby kill races.
The first iteration of TSM’s (and most teams during this era) gameplan, was finding a spot in zone and killing teams that tried to play around them early, before trying to shift to a God Spot to win the round. Landing Cage on KC and Fuel Depot (now Harvester) on WE were ideal, and in true TSM fashion (until Raven), they were happy forsaking high-tier loot to prioritise rotations.
Every team was running Wraith, Path, Wattson (with a few Lifeline’s and Bangalore’s thrown in), so this era was when Apex was in it’s purest form: all gun-skill and rotations baby. What set TSM a part was 3 things. Firstly, Hal’s experience in BRs. He had played as a professional in H1Z1 (rest in peace) and Fortnite prior to Apex and had a much more solid understanding of macro strategy than most other IGLs of the era. Secondly, good team chemistry and comms. Whilst all 3 had the capability to frag, they pioneered high-quality team fighting: taking turns peaking / healing and challenging other teams from multiple angles, and maintaining quality high-pressure comms. Finally, Mac on Pathfinder. That dude did some things that literally no one else in Apex ever could and opened up / finished so many key fights.
Unfortunately, the meta shifted (hello Bloodhound) and whilst they were still making Finals lobbies and competing for trophies, what made TSM great fell a part. Hal and Alb had different ideas on rotations / fights and their comms suffered, with some of the wildest arguments seen in the game. Eventually Alb was let go and joined Liquid with Nocturnal and Casper, being replaced by Snip3down from Rogue.
Where Are They Now?
ImperialHal – TSM Reps – TSM Albralelie - LANimals
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Rogue (Skulltown / Staging)
Players sweetdreams (IGL / Wraith) Dropped (Fragger / Pathfinder) Huskerss (Support / Lifeline -> Wattson) Snip3down (Support / Fragger Combat Wattson)
Results X-Games – 7th Pre-Season Invitational – 10th GLL – 3rd ALGS Summer Circuit - 2nd
The heir apparent to the TSM dynasty, it took a little while for them to get going but by the time Snip3down left for TSM they were arguably the best team in NA and were on an upwards trajectory with two top 3 finishes in their final 2 tournaments together.
Like TSM, their gameplan was to rotate quickly and find a playable spot in zone, killing off teams around them before trying to be in the best position to win the round. Sweet also had a decorated career on Rogue in H1Z1, so he had an immediate advantage in BR macro knowledge. Whilst he didn’t have the heights of Alb, Dropped was a top-tier Pathfinder who could make plays and a capable Co-IGL, and once Huskerss left for CoD Snip3down was the most aggressive Wattson that you would ever see (as well as being one of only 2 controller players in the early finals lobbies).
Sidenote re: Snip3down. Before joining Rogue he finished 2nd (with the most individual kills in the tournament) at X-Games for Reciprocity IGL’ing 2 Europeans who he had never met or played with before the tournament.
All 3 of them have been on record as stating that this was potentially the best roster they ever played on, and unfortunately the only reason it didn’t continue was the contract offers that they received from Rogue. A low monthly salary, combined with being unable to sign independent sponsorships meant that all 3 left for better financial opportunities: sweet to NRG, Snip3down to TSM, and Dropped for his #1 ranked grind that caused his stream to blow-up.
Where Are They Now?
Sweetdreams – NRG Dropped – Optic Huskerss – Streaming Warzone(?) Snip3down - FaZe
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Sentinels (Thunderdome [Gauntlet] / Sorting Factory [Lava Siphon])
Players Retzi (IGL / Wraith) Senoxe (Support -> IGL / Wattson -> Bloodhound) zombs (Fragger / Pathfinder) Crust (Support / Wattson) Peesh (Wraith)
Results X-Games – 3rd Pre-Season Invitational – 3rd GLL – 2nd ALGS Summer Circuit – 7th
Sentinels were easily the scariest fighting team of this era and were the only team making a consistent gameplan of W-Keying teams and taking edge fights. After early success, zombs left to try his hand at professional Valorant, and crust joined the team (back in the days of the Vault on KC, crust and his turbocharged devo were an absolute menace). They were supremely unlucky to be up against the TSM Dynasty, and top 3 in the first 3 major tournaments of the time is incredible consistency (it’s worth noting that retzi left for Valorant after GLL). Similar to FURIA in Raleigh, they won a lot of fights and were all near the top of the kills leaderboard, however they had issues closing out Match Point.
The biggest strength of this roster was their confidence, retzi is a super aggressive IGL who looked to take fights, and at the time all 3 were grinding the game and their mechanics were top-tier. Sorting Factory was a much sought-after POI on World’s Edge at the time, and they had a series of successful contests similar to Optic at Maude / Lava City.
After GLL retzi made the decision to quit the game to try and turn pro in Valorant, leading to Senoxe turning to IGL on Bloodhound, and picking up Peesh to play Wraith. There was a slight down-turn in performance before the second coming of Sentinels when they picked up Lou as their IGL.
Where Are They Now?
Retzi – Rise Senoxe – Oxygen zombs - Valorant Crust – SCS Peesh – Retired
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CLG (Artillery / Skyhook East)
Players ImMadness (IGL / Wraith) NiceWigg (Fragger / Pathfinder) Noko (Support / Wattson) PowPow (Support / Crypto) Vaxlon (Support / Wattson)
Results X-Games – 17th Pre-Season Invitational – 16th GLL – 13th ALGS Summer Circuit – 1st
It took CLG some time to get themselves to the top level, however when they did they were the first team to win an S-Tier tournament that wasn’t TSM. The main thing holding their initial squad of Madness, NiceWigg and Noko back was a lack of competitive experience: unlike the top rosters of the day they didn’t come from a professional background, or BR games, which meant they were often caught out on rotations and in team fights. But 3 newly professional players making finals lobbies of every tournament that they played is still a very impressive feat. That being said, a really nice part of this roster were the Madness and Wigg discovery stories – both benefitted from dizzy / Shroud in-game interactions and raids and ended up turning pro.
The second roster of Madness, PowPow and Vaxlon tasted the ultimate success and was a testament to Madness coming on in leaps and bounds as a zone IGL (their rotation and fighting coming out of Artillery in the Match Point winning game was top notch). Whilst they weren’t the most mechanically gifted roster, Madness made great shot-calls and PowPow and Vaxlon were excellent at understanding and following directions. CLG continued to be a top team well into the 2nd era of Apex.
Where Are They Now? ImMadness – Wildcard NiceWigg – Watch Party GOAT Noko – Streaming PowPow – Retired Vaxlon – 100T
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Complexity (Refinery [Climatiser / Epicenter])
Players Monsoon (IGL / Wraith) Lou (Co-IGL / Gibraltar )Reptar (Fragger / Bloodhound)
Results ALGS Summer Circuit – 2nd (1st on points)
This seems like an odd inclusion given they only played one tournament together during this era, however they need to be spoken about because of one legend: Bloodhound.
Monsoon had already become a household name in Apex, from his Kraber re-peak on Shroud, to his early professional career IGLing Tempo Storm to 5th at X-Games, and FlyQuest (with Lou and ZachMazer) to 17th and 6th at Poland and in GLL respectfully. Lou eventually followed Monsoon to Complexity, and was beginning to form himself as a capable co-IGL and future IGL. Reptar was the one remaining member of a Complexity roster that finished 18th, 22nd and 14th in the 3 preceding S-Tier events.
Complexity was simply the scariest fighting team in NA during the Summer Circuit. They were the only team running Bloodhound to begin with, and would run around edge rolling teams seeing as most other teams didn’t have wall hacks. There were also many instances of them leaving God Spot just to kill a team on scan because there was no counter-play for Bloodhound. It got to the point where teams would avoid rotating anywhere near the North-East of World’s Edge because they didn’t want to fight them.
Where Are They Now? Monsoon – Complexity Lou - LANimals Reptar – Wildcard
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NRG (no idea where they landed)
Players dizzy (IGL / Lifeline) aceu (Fragger / Wraith) Mohr (support / Wattson)
Results X-Games – 13th Pre-Season Invitational – 16th
This team always divides opinion on this sub, they never achieved high placements and had split up by the time that GLL and ALGS commenced. But they are the team that brought the most public attention to professional Apex Legends, and it would be remiss of me to not mention them.
All 3 were insane mechanical players, and easily had the most highlights in the game at the time (this was before any ranked system was in place – so all we had was pubs). Dizzy was also MVP of both X-Games and the Pre-Season Invitational, despite their low placements.
This teams biggest issue was that all 3 lacked the drive to commit properly to Apex Legends professionally, as well as not having an S-Tier IGL during games. This is made pretty evident by the fact that the team broke up after Poland, and none have played non-show match tournaments since.
Where Are They Now? dizzy – Retired aceu – Streaming for Sentinels Mohr – Retired
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Other Teams & Players of Note
Other teams / players who were playing in these lobbies at the time, however had not yet made their mark in the scene, are as follows:
ZachMazer (FlyQuest) Frexs, Nafen, Rocker (C9, NRG) Nocturnal (Liquid) Dezignful, Gent, Resultah (Aim Assist) rkn, xenial (HRN) TeQ, Pandxrs, Sauceror (Flying Drone) Phony (303 Esports) Naughty (Da Squaaad) iShiny (Fnatic)

FINAL RESULT: TSM end 6th in the overall standings with 90 points, meaning they will qualify to Split 2 Playoffs.

Today at 6 PM EDT / 3 PM PDT (aka 1 hour from the creation of this post) 7:15 PM EDT / 4:15 PM PDT, TSM Apex is playing in the Regional Final for Split 2 of Apex Legends Global Series 2022-23. This marks the final day of regional play for the split, featuring the top 20 teams from NA.
You can find streams on YouTube and Twitch. Individual perspectives can be found for ImperialHal and Verhulst.
The format is the typical "finals" format for Apex. The teams will alternate playing two matchs on Storm Point and two matches on World's Edge, and they will gain points based on the number of kills they get and their placement. Once a team gets at least 50 points, they are now on Match Point. The first team to win a match while on Match Point is the winner of the final. The final will keep going until someone hits this criteria.
The winner of the regional final will directly qualify to Split 2 Playoffs, an international LAN in London happening July 13-16. The points from the regional final will be added to the teams' existing totals from the split, and the top 9 teams by points (not including the regional finals winner) also qualify to Split 2 Playoffs.
TSM is coming into today in 8th place overall, with 76 points. This puts them in the top 9, but not by very much, so they need a strong performance to at least stay there and qualify for Split 2 Playoffs. They are already qualified for the ALGS Championship, so they don't need to qualify for Split 2 Playoffs, but missing the LAN would be a fairly big dropoff after winning it all in Split 1.

Round	Place	Kills	Points Earned
1	2nd	13	9 + 13 = 22
2	18th	2	0 + 2 = 2
3	18th	2	0 + 2 = 2
4	11th	0	1 + 0 = 1
5	15th	1	1 + 1 = 2
6	5th	5	4 + 5 = 9
7	2nd	5	9 + 5 = 14 (MATCH POINT)
8	14th	0	1 + 0 = 1
Overall	6th	28	25 + 28 = 53

Liquipedia
Battlefy
Live Leaderboard
Modifiable Multistream/Command Center

Streaming now on YouTube and Twitch. Individual perspectives can be found for ImperialHal and Verhulst.
The first three rounds are on Storm Point, while the last three rounds are on World's Edge.
TSM is starting today at 12th in the overall standings, with 51 points. They need to stay in the Top 20 in order to play in the regional final, and they need as many points as they can get to be top 10 in points after the regional final and get to Split 2 Playoffs. This is their last non-final/playoff match of the split.

Round	Place	Kills	Points Earned
1	7th	5	3 + 5 = 8
2	11th	3	1 + 3 = 4
3	1st	19	12 + 19 = 31
4	5th	4	4 + 4 = 8
5	18th	0	0 + 0 = 0
6	8th	4	2 + 4 = 6
Overall	1st	35	57

Liquipedia
Battlefy
TSM end the day at 6th place overall, at 76 points. Even though there is still another match between groups B and C, with a 31 point buffer between them and 20th place, TSM are guaranteed to stay in the top 20 and play in the regional finals on May 7th, where they will look to stay in the top 10 and get to Split 2 Playoffs.