DarkZero Esports has been crowned the best Apex Legends team in the world at the Apex Legends Global Series Year 2 Championships, clutching what is the roster’s second consecutive title on LAN. The Australian trio of Rhys ‘Zer0’ Perry, Rick ‘Sharky’ Wirth, and Noyan ‘Genburten’ Ozkose battled their way back from a slow start to the final to clutch up in the ninth game when several other teams were on Match Point.
Earlier this year at the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs in Stockholm, while representing Reignite, Zer0 and Sharky stormed their way to victory alongside last-minute substitute Jake ‘Jmw’ Walters, who stepped in for Genburten who contracted COVID-19. While this means this is Genburten’s first taste of LAN victory, Zer0 and Sharky can now call themselves back-to-back Apex LAN champions.
DarkZero acquired the Reignite roster just before the ALGS Championship, and now the organisation can claim to have a world championship-winning roster in Apex Legends.
Zer0, Sharky, and Genburten take home the top cash prize of half a million dollars.
While the in-game action was incredibly exciting, viewership of the main stream exceeded 200,000 viewers, and the live audience brought some serious energy, the Year 2 Championships have not been without backlash.
When combining both visa issues and COVID-19 related absences, over 30 players and coaches that qualified for the event missed either part or all of it. Some teams drafted in team coaches or managers to replace COVID-positive players, while some ended up playing as duos.
🎉The best in the world!🎉@DarkZeroGG 🏆#ALGS pic.twitter.com/QOoXooMttv
— Apex Legends Esports (@PlayApexEsports) July 11, 2022
The ALGS Championship’s lack of a plan B for players who caught COVID has been heavily criticised, with many wondering why remote or isolated play spaces couldn’t have been arranged.
At the end of the broadcast, it was confirmed that the ALGS would be returning for a third year, with more details to be revealed about the next season soon.