The ALGS Championship Has Had An Immediate Impact On Apex Legends Pick Rates
Apex Legends hosted its biggest event of the year this weekend, as the ALGS Championship took place in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was arguably the biggest event in the esport’s history, as it was only the second ALGS competition to take place in-person, and had the highest prize pool of the competition so far.
The culmination of Year 2 of Apex esports was the first ALGS tournament that fans could attend in-person, too, and the crowds added a sense of spectacle that so many have been missing during the pandemic. Thousands more watched at home, with the game peaking at over half a million viewers on Twitch between the official broadcast, B-streams, and watch parties. It was the esports event of the summer so far.
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Apex Legends esports has a different meta to the regular game. Players in the battle royale tend to favour aggressive characters, whereas the esport has a more defensive and careful nature due to the amount of money on the line. Despite the fact that esports players are abandoning Gibby, the safest Legend, Valkyrie was used by nearly every team at the weekend thanks to her free rotations as she Skyward Dives her team to god spots across the map.
The ALGS doesn’t usually affect the pick rates in the regular game. However, after the Championship, Valkyrie use has soared by 8.15 percent according to unofficial source Apex Legends Tracker, making her the most picked Legend in ranked matches. While Seer was already seeing a resurgence, the likes of Jacob ‘HisWattson’ McMillin increased his popularity further. He’s currently up nearly 25 percent on his pre-Championship pick rates, and is the ninth most popular Legend in ranked play.
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