EA’s premier Esports Championship, ALGS, has plans to be bigger and better in Year 4.
After a successful Year 3, where fan-favorites TSM clinched victory and the lion’s share of the $1,000,000 prize pool, ALGS Year 4 is here with a new foundation. The newest season will have a similar format with changes to the slot allocation, as well as an expanded prize pool for the regional splits.
Year 3 saw the game have its biggest viewership numbers and participants since the inception of the circuit. With the hype and success brewing, EA aims to capitalize and expand the game to be as global as ever!
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Apex Legends Global Series Year 4 Updates
The overall prize pool for the circuit is set to remain the same, but there are some changes to the allocation of the cash prize. The total prize pool is set at $5,000,000. The prize is distributed over two Splits, each with its own Split Playoffs that teams qualify through the regional Pro Leagues.
ALGS Year 4 Regional Changes
For APAC South, the prize pool has doubled per split compared to Year 3. However, this comes at a cost, as South America will no longer have its regional leagues. Instead, they will be able to qualify through the new South America Challenger Circuit. Teams will be able to qualify through playoff points via the challenger circuit and the split playoffs.
- APAC North Pro League – $125,000
- APAC South Pro League – $125,000
- North America Pro League – $125,000
- EMEA Pro League – $125,000
- Regional Finals South America – $31,250
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China Enters the ALGS Year 4 Circuit
The biggest addition this year is the inclusion of China in the competitive circuit. The Chinese E-sports industry is a valuable market for all competitive game developers. So, it is no surprise to see Apex finally entering this lucrative market.
Chinese Teams are now eligible to be invited via playoff points to each of the seasonal splits. Based on performance, up to 4 teams may be invited from the region in Split 2. After that, The team with the most points after both splits will qualify for the Championship.
ALGS Year 4 Format
Pro League – Split 1
As before, the circuit will start with pre-season qualifiers. 8 teams from 4 different regional open qualifiers will be selected to play in their respective regional Pro Leagues alongside 22 invited teams. Each region will have a total of 30 teams competing for a spot in the Split Playoffs at the end of the regular season. The bottom teams are relegated to a qualifier for Split 2, alongside teams from the Challenger Circuits.
Pro League- Split 2
The Split 2 of the Pro League is made of the teams transitioning from Split 1 and will be joined by entrants through the Split Qualifier. These entrants are made of the bottom-performing teams from the previous split and the best teams from the Challenger Circuits.
Challenger Circuits
The Challenger Circuits run parallel to the Pro League Splits. These are the tournaments amateur teams participate in to get a slot into their respective regional Leagues.
- Each Challenger Circuit split will feature four open registration weekend tournaments in the following regions:
- North America
- EMEA
- APAC North
- APAC South
- South America
The bottom teams in the Pro League will battle the winners of the Challenger Circuits and the next best teams according to ALGS points.
In South America, the winning teams from each Split 1 Challenger Circuit tournament (up to four teams) and sixteen teams with the next highest total Challenger Circuit Points will qualify to compete in the SA Regional Finals, where the top two teams will qualify for the Split 1 and subsequently, Split 2 Playoffs.
Finally, during Split 2, the top 10 teams with the highest points earned in each region will qualify for the last chance qualifier. The exact number of qualifying Challenger Circuit teams participating in the LCQ will depend on the number of Championship-qualified teams from each region and will be confirmed after the Split 2 Playoffs conclude
Playoffs – Split 1 & 2
The regular split will determine the teams that will play in the Split Playoffs on Lan. The slot distribution for the Split 1 Playoffs was revealed to be as follows:
- 2 teams invited from China
- 2 teams from South America Challenger Circuit
- 12 teams from Pro League North America
- 8 teams each from Pro Leagues EMEA/APAC North/APAC South
The slot distribution for the Split 2 playoffs is determined by the placement of teams in the first Split. Therefore, a region that performs better in the first playoffs will earn more slots for its region in the second one. However, the maximum number of teams from a singular region is capped at 12.
Teams will be seeded into 4 groups of 10 teams each based on their Regular Season performance. Then, they will fight other groups in a 6-game series to qualify for the double elimination stage. Afterward, seeding will be done again based on their group stage performances. Each round will consist of a 6-match series.
- The top 20 Group Stage teams will begin in the Winner’s Bracket, and the bottom 20 Group Stage teams will begin in the Losers Bracket.
Afterward, the following 20 teams will compete in the Match Point Finals.
- The top 10 teams from the Winners Bracket series and the top 10 teams from Losers Bracket Round 2
Last Chance Qualifier
The final slots before the Year 4 Championship will be filled through the last chance qualifier. This tournament is made up of all the teams that did not qualify against the top teams from the aforementioned Challenger Circuit.
ALGS Year 4 Championship
The Finale of the circuit will take us to a mega LAN event. The ALGS Year 4 Championship will host the best 40 teams from around the globe. Moreover, these teams will fight for glory and a shot at $2,000,000. With TSM willing the last time, who will come for their crown in 2024?
- The Championship stage will use groups that will go into a double-elimination bracket format:
- Teams will be seeded into 4 groups of 10 teams each based on their Playoff Points or LCQ performance. Afterward, they will play a single 6-match series against every other group.
- After that, teams will be seeded in the double-elimination Bracket Stage based on their Group Stage performance. Each round in the Bracket Stage will consist of an 8-match series.
- The top 20 Group Stage teams will begin in the Winner’s Bracket, while the bottom 20 Group Stage teams will begin in the Losers Bracket.
- Following the Bracket Stage, 20 teams will compete in the Match Point Finals to determine the ALGS Year 4 Champions.
- The top 10 teams from the Winners Bracket series and the top 10 teams from Losers Bracket Round 2.
Partner Teams
For the first time, EA will be introducing partner teams. These teams are different from the invited teams. These partner teams will be given financial stability from EA. So, naturally, it is very difficult to get accepted. While details of the process are unknown to us, some metrics do include their commitment to the ALGS ecosystem, past competitive performance, and their overall willingness to continue partnering with us in new and interesting ways to grow the ALGS.
ALGS Year 4 Schedule
| ALGS Year 3 Events | Date |
|---|---|
| Preseason Qualifiers | November 25 – December 18, 2023 |
| Pro League – Split 1 | January 20 – March 10, 2024 |
| Challenger Circuit – Split 1 | February – April 2024 |
| Playoffs – Split 1 | Spring 2024 |
| Split 2 Pro League Qualifier | Spring 2024 |
| Pro League – Split 2 | Spring 2024 |
| Challenger Circuit – Split 2 | Spring 2024 |
| Playoffs – Split 2 | Summer 2024 |
| Last Chance Qualifier | Fall 2024 |
| ALGS Championship | Fall 2024 |
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More information will be unveiled as the season progresses. Meanwhile, check out the ALGS Pro League schedule and timings so you can remain up to date with Apex’s nail-biting competition among the best players.
