The highest level of Apex pro play is centered around considering each legend’s class and mobility, and despite a few meta staples, the 2023 Championship has proven to be the most diverse international event in all of the ALGS’ history.
The group stage of the premiere Apex event has already seen 16 of the 24 playable legends picked, according to Apex Legends Stats, breaking the record for most unique legend picks at a LAN tournament.
Previously, the record was held by the 2023 Split One Playoffs, which featured 14 unique picks out of the 23 playable legends in the battle royale’s 16th season.
Catalyst, Bangalore, and Horizon comprise the top three, leading the team composition pick rate together at 42 percent.
Their clear strength did not stop other Apex pro teams from running comfort picks or niche legends though, with three legends making their 2023 ALGS debut on the Championship stage. Fuse, Wraith, and Mad Maggie were used by multiple teams, with APAC-N’s FNATIC winning with Mad Maggie in her debut game.
With Catalyst and Bangalore as the highest-picked Apex legends, many key teamfights and third parties quickly devolve into fields of smoke and Dark Veil walls, cutting off potentially deadly angles and helping to cover downed teammates who need revivals.
Fuse has exploded in popularity as a direct answer to destroying reinforced doors from Catalyst’s passive, and to cut off space from teams hiding in smoke or behind cover, allowing Fuse teams to easily flush out resetting enemies.
Even Revenant Reborn, the newest reworked legend introduced in season 18, found playtime, with EMEA’s GoNext using the Synthetic Nightmare on Storm Point, effectively using Forged Shadows to soak up damage for his team and reset his shields mid-fight. GoNext finished Storm Point with one of the highest point games, with 14 from kills and nine from placement for a total of 23 points, eclipsing TSM’s 16 points, despite them making first place.
Compared to previous LAN events, the Split One Playoffs only featured 14 unique legend picks all tournament, peaking at the Match Point Finals thanks to Fnatic’s accidental Lifeline pick.
Related: One previously dominant legend is almost completely absent from 2023 ALGS Championship
The Split Two Playoffs saw even less legend diversity, with only 12 legends picked thanks to the universal presence of Horizon and Seer as the premier legend choices during the event, who comprised over half of the composition choices.
With three more days in the Championship, the record could continue extending past 16 legends, as many teams might use new legends and strategies as they fight for their tournament lives, like when FURIA shocked the world in the 2022 Championship with their unique Seer compositions that eventually lead to his prominence in pro play.
The ALGS Championship returns with the Bracket Stage on Friday, Sept. 8, at 10am CT, starting with the bottom 20 teams from the Groups Stage competing in Loser’s Round One to decide the first ten teams who will be sent packing.
