TSM won the Split One Playoffs in eight games, cementing the team as three-time international Apex Legends champions on Feb. 5. Their IGL, Phillip “ImperialHal” Dosen, celebrated not only putting TSM back on top of the world with their third international title but a milestone that nobody else has ever achieved.
ImperialHal cemented his place in Apex history by becoming the first player to win an international tournament with both controller and keyboard, alongside the MVP award at the London Playoffs.
Hal led TSM for most individual kills at the event with a total score of 59 points. His teammates, Verhulst and Reps, scored 54 and 41 points respectively. Over the entire event, Hal took second place with an average kills per game at 11.8, only falling behind NRG’s Christopher “sweetdreams” Sexton at a 12.4 average. In the finals, TSM scored 44 kills through the eight rounds of the grand finals, with Hal securing four of the 10 kills in the final game to win the Playoffs.
Eleven used controllers in the top 20 individual player scores at Playoffs, while nine played with a mouse and keyboard. In North America, only seven of the top 20 use a keyboard as their preferred input, while the other 13 use a controller. Notably, the top five in NA use controllers, with Hal ranking as No. 1 for player kills, showcasing his consistent dominance on both domestic and international levels of competition.
The divide between which input brings much discussion from the casual and competitive communities alike, with each having clear advantages and disadvantages. Keyboard can move around while looting deathboxes, while controller cannot. Mobility with techniques like super-gliding and air strafing is seen as better on keyboard, but controller’s aim assist is often considered “overpowered” for fights, leading to the rapid increase in PC players switching inputs.
On TSM, Verhulst uses a controller, Reps uses keyboard, and Hal switches between both inputs. Hal started switching between both inputs in 2020, drawing questions from fans and spectators alike about his decisions over the years from his constant changes. Many wondered if the choice negatively impacted his performance, but Hal assured his viewers on Twitch he preferred to switch, using what suited his mood and team on a given day and tournament.
Aim assist is one of the many reasons why Hal first considered swapping, emphasizing close-quarters combat as the strongest point of controller in professional play, while also highlighting the difference in how much practice and time must be committed to learning the input. He concedes that a mouse and keyboard player has to put in three times the effort to match the aim assist of controllers, but finds the difference at longer ranges negligible, giving each input a valid range for use in competitive play.
Everyone might have a different opinion on which input is more optimal for professional players, but nobody can deny that Hal’s skills translate flawlessly to either input. His performance at the London LAN speaks for itself, with the CEO able to perform at a world-class level, better than any other player no matter what he chooses to use on any given day.
