Game developer Respawn Entertainment has unveiled its Apex Legends esports plans for the second season of its Global Series (ALGS).
The second season, which is scheduled to take commence in September 2021, will see a number of changes, according to the release. The first major change is that the series will have a new format that create separate levels of competition for ‘both professional and amateur Apex Legends players’.
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This includes the introduction of the ALGS Pro League and Challenger Circuit in North America, EMEA, APAC South, Apac North, and South America, the press release reads.
The prize pool of the ALGS will also be increased, with the new season awarding $5m (~£3.6M) in prize money to the best-placed teams. Prize pool allocations for its events have not been revealed.
Another new addition is the inclusion of console players, thus expanding the ALGS beyond PC. Xbox and PlayStation players will be able to participate in competitions using PC-value aim assist settings. According to the developer, this settings rule has been created to maintain the series’ competitive integrity.
In the press release, it was stated that the first ALGS season recorded over 3.5m hours of content watched. Some of the teams that competed in the inaugural season include Complexity Gaming, Alliance, Team Legion, and Cloud9.
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The new season will start with the preseason qualifiers in September, with the series set to last through to July 2022 when the finals of the ALGS Championship will take place.
The online preseason qualifiers will look to determine 20 teams from each region that will advance further in the championship. Those teams will join 20 other organisations from each region that will be directly invited to the tournament.
Esports Insider says: The ALGS grew substantially this year, and it goes to show that the Apex Legends esports is on the right track. The addition of more amateur-focused leagues and tournaments is also welcome, as well as cross-platform support.