In the world of competitive Apex Legends, you won’t find more beloved competitors and streamers than Mande. Along with longtime teammates Taisheen and rpr, Mande had a reputation for being one of the most positive and fun-loving pros in the international Apex world.
Unfortunately for fans, they won’t be seeing that trio compete again anytime soon. SCARZ officially announced that Mande was leaving the organization and taking a break from competitive play. At the same time, Taisheen and rpr will also step down from competitive play but remain with SCARZ as Apex content creators.
It’s difficult to describe the void that Mande and the entire SCARZ team will leave in the competitive Apex scene, both in Europe and around the world. Winners of the EMEA ALGS Championship in 2021, the trio bounced back from a tough 2022 season to qualify for the 2022 ALGS Championship in Raleigh through EMEA’s Last Chance Qualifier, and went on to finish 11th at the Championship LAN.
Their reach and influence extend past competitive play and their obvious talent, however. Mande is one of the most-clipped streamers in the European scene. His infectious personality, his antics, and his penchant for doing backflips on stream made him must-watch entertainment for many Apex fans. If you ever wanted a team that was the perfect mix of competitive play and content, SCARZ were the team you needed to be watching.
While Mande will not compete in ALGS play for the foreseeable future, fans will still be able to expect his stream will deliver on the content front, as will rpr and Taisheen’s respective streams. Meanwhile, SCARZ will look to field a new team heading into year three of ALGS.
If the Japanese-based organization wishes to remain in the EMEA scene, there are several free-agent squads in Pro League that would fit the bill, including teams like Fire Beavers, formed with ex-ZETA DIVISION players, or VZH, the team of ex-Acend player VJEIX, ex-TSM coach gdolphn, and ranked grinder Zaine, who just dominated the second preseason qualifier in EMEA to earn their Pro League spot.
For now, however, we’ve come to the end of the Mande, rpr, and Taisheen trio. And that’s a sad day for Apex fans everywhere.
