EMEA’s Top Apex Legends Team Drops Out of ALGS Due to Financial Concerns
Casper “Gnaske” Præstensgaard announced on his Twitch stream that his team, KCP, will not be returning to the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) for Year Four. The decision was made after discussions between Pioneers and EA revealed a lack of financial sustainability in the league. This departure adds to the growing list of popular organizations that have left the competitive scene due to unfair revenue splits and insufficient support from ALGS organizers.
KCP’s departure from the ALGS is another large loss for the competitive scene, as many popular orgs have dropped out in the past years for the same reasons. NRG, Cloud 9, G2, and Team Liquid departed this past year, with all teams frustrated at the unfair revenue splits and lack of support from the ALGS organizers.
Compared to other competitive scenes, Apex has barely seen any team support, leading to the orgs’ struggles. Dota 2 has The International’s Compendium battle pass, and VALORANT includes the Champions bundle, where purchases fund their respective tournament prize pools, alongside giving players exclusive team items, skins, and more from the organizations participating in the event.
In comparison, Apex has only ever run one team skin shop in 2022, and famously failed to deliver team gun skins, despite past datamines confirming their existence, leading to the dissatisfaction of many orgs and the decision to pull out of the ALGS completely.
KCP first joined the scene on Sept. 17, 2022, signing the roster of GMT Esports, who had just come off a fifth-place finish at the ALGS 2022 Championship. Their starting 2023 roster consisted of Gnaske, Matthew “SirDel” Biggins, and Maksym “Max-Strafe” Stadniuk.
The roster would go on to find domestic and international success throughout the year despite missing Max-Strafe due to visa issues for all three LAN events. In response, Pioneers would sign “Zaine” Kazi as their new starting third, with Max-Strafe moved to a substitute role. This roster iteration would make two Match Point Finals appearances: fifth place at the Split Two Playoffs and eighth at the 2023 Championship.
However, despite their consistent success, the roster began to fall apart as contracts expired in the off-season. SirDel was the first member to announce his departure from the org on Sept. 14 as an unrestricted free agent, followed by Zaine on Sept. 17.
Gnaske’s stream confirmed his own free agency status, with Max-Strafe as the last signed Pioneer member, with no official statement on his future with the organization.
The ALGS has been confirmed to return for its fourth year, with the start date set for this fall. Currently, there has been no confirmation on what org will take KCP’s Pro League spot or if they will be replaced by a Challenger Circuit team heading into the Split One Pro League.
KCP’s decision to withdraw from the ALGS is a significant blow to the competitive scene, joining the ranks of other prominent organizations like NRG, Cloud 9, G2, and Team Liquid who have also left due to dissatisfaction with revenue sharing and lack of support from ALGS organizers.
Unlike other competitive scenes, Apex has provided minimal team support, leading to the struggles faced by organizations. Dota 2’s The International has the Compendium battle pass, while VALORANT offers the Champions bundle, both of which contribute to tournament prize pools and provide exclusive team items and skins. In contrast, Apex only had one team skin shop in 2022 and failed to deliver promised team gun skins, causing frustration among orgs and their subsequent withdrawal from the ALGS.
KCP entered the scene on Sept. 17, 2022, acquiring the roster of GMT Esports, who had recently achieved a fifth-place finish at the ALGS 2022 Championship. The 2023 roster, consisting of Gnaske, Matthew “SirDel” Biggins, and Maksym “Max-Strafe” Stadniuk, achieved domestic and international success throughout the year, despite Max-Strafe’s absence due to visa issues for LAN events. Pioneers brought in “Zaine” Kazi as the new starting third, with Max-Strafe transitioning to a substitute role. This iteration of the roster reached the Match Point Finals twice, finishing fifth in the Split Two Playoffs and eighth in the 2023 Championship.
However, as contracts expired during the off-season, the roster began to disintegrate. SirDel announced his departure as an unrestricted free agent on Sept. 14, followed by Zaine on Sept. 17. Gnaske confirmed his free agency status on his stream, leaving Max-Strafe as the last signed member of Pioneers, with no official statement regarding his future with the organization.
The ALGS is set to return for its fourth year this fall, but there is currently no information on which organization will fill KCP’s Pro League spot or if they will be replaced by a Challenger Circuit team for the Split One Pro League.
Source: DOTESPORTS
