The Apex Legends Global Series has become the defining stage for Apex Legends esports. Across changing formats, online regional finals and major international LAN events, the ALGS Championship has crowned the best teams in the world and created some of the game’s most memorable competitive storylines.
So far, no team has managed to win the ALGS Championship twice. From the first regional champions of Year 1 to Oblivion’s unlikely Year 5 title run, every season has produced a different winner and a different kind of legacy.
The First ALGS Champions Were Crowned Regionally
EA and Respawn Entertainment first announced the Apex Legends Global Series in 2020, with the opening season originally planned to conclude in 2021. However, the pandemic forced major changes to the format. With in-person events and international travel off the table, the first ALGS Championship was held online and split across five regions.
That meant North America, EMEA, APAC North, APAC South and South America each crowned their own champion.
In North America, Kungarna NA produced one of the first great underdog stories in ALGS history. The team had only qualified through the regional rankings and was not widely expected to beat established names such as Team Liquid, TSM or G2 Esports. After a slow start in the Finals, Kungarna NA fought back, won game nine and claimed the North American title.
South America was won by Paradox Esports, a team that entered the tournament with stronger expectations. After topping the Group Stage with a huge points total, Paradox carried that momentum into the Finals and secured the regional championship by game eight.
In EMEA, SCARZ came out on top after a strong Finals performance. The team had only placed fifth in the Group Stage, but improved when it mattered most and eventually took the title ahead of several established European names.
APAC North delivered another underdog winner in FENNEL. Despite only barely qualifying through the Winter Circuit Playoffs, the team held off major regional names such as Crazy Raccoon and T1 to become champion.
APAC South was won by WOLFPACK ARCTIC. The team entered as one of the stronger contenders and backed that status up in the Finals, recovering from a mid-series dip to win game eight and secure the championship.
DarkZero Gaming Win the First International ALGS Championship
The ALGS changed dramatically in Year 2. Instead of separate regional championships, the scene moved toward a single international LAN event, a format that would become the standard for future seasons.
The 2022 ALGS Championship took place at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, United States, bringing the world’s best teams together in person for the first time. The title went to DarkZero Gaming, which had entered the event after signing the APAC South-winning roster Reignite.
DarkZero was already a strong regional contender, having won both Split 1 and Split 2 Pro Leagues in APAC South. Still, the Championship was a major challenge. The team had to face global heavyweights such as Team Liquid and TSM, and its tournament start was far from perfect.
DarkZero placed only 13th in the Group Stage and then sixth in the Winners Bracket without winning a single game. In the Finals, the team opened with two poor results and no kills across the first two games.
But DarkZero’s comeback became one of the defining moments of ALGS history. After reaching the 50-point match point threshold, the team won game nine and claimed the first true international ALGS Championship title.
TSM Complete Their Comeback in Year 3
The 2023 ALGS Championship belonged to TSM, one of the most famous organisations in Apex Legends esports. Coming into the event, TSM was already considered one of the favourites after a dominant year in North America.
The tournament took place at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Despite its status as a top contender, TSM did not have a smooth start. The team placed seventh in the Group Stage and fifth in the Winners Bracket, leaving fans wondering whether the North American giants could actually deliver on the biggest stage.
The Finals started even worse. TSM finished 17th, 10th and 20th in the first three games, putting the roster under serious pressure.
Then the comeback began. TSM turned the entire tournament around by winning games six, seven and eight in a row. With 83 points in total, the organisation secured the Year 3 Championship and took home $600,000 in prize money.
Phillip “ImperialHal” Dosen won his first international championship and was named Monster Energy MVP, while Evan “Verhulst” Verhulst received the EA Positive Player award. Together with Jordan “Reps” Wolfe, the TSM core further cemented its place as one of the most iconic rosters in Apex Legends history.
GoNext Esports Shock the Field in Year 4
Year 4 brought another major surprise. The ALGS Championship was moved to early 2025 to better align with Apex Legends Season 24 and the game’s sixth anniversary. The event took place from January 29 to February 2 at the Daiwa House PREMIST DOME in Sapporo, Japan.
GoNext Esports entered the tournament as an unlikely champion. The team had not looked dominant during the year, finishing fifth in the EMEA 2024 Split 2 Pro League, 19th in Split 1 and only qualifying for the Championship through Playoff Points as the 30th-ranked team.
At first, GoNext’s tournament looked like a survival run rather than a championship campaign. The team placed seventh in the Group Stage and eighth in the Winners Bracket. EMEA rivals Alliance and Aurora attracted more attention for much of the event.
But the Finals changed everything. GoNext gradually built momentum, finishing fourth in game five and winning game seven. By game eight, the team had reached the 50-point requirement and put itself in position to win the tournament.
Alliance had looked strong throughout the Championship, even topping the Group Stage, but a poor result in game eight opened the door. GoNext took advantage, won game nine and completed one of the most unexpected title runs in ALGS history.
Oblivion Become Year 5 Champions Without an Organisation
The Year 5 ALGS Championship delivered another unlikely winner. While teams such as Alliance and Team Falcons entered as major contenders, it was orgless team Oblivion that finished the season as champion.
Oblivion was built around Miguel “Blinkzr” Quiles, Bowen “Monsoon” Fuller and Brandon “FunFPS” Groombridge. The roster had reformed after two players parted ways with Movistar KOI and qualified for the Championship by winning the Americas Last Chance Qualifier.
Their route through the tournament was anything but easy. Oblivion barely avoided the Lower Bracket Semifinals after finishing 19th out of the top 20 teams in the Group Stage. The team then struggled in the Upper Bracket Finals and was forced into the Lower Bracket Finals.
Oblivion managed to survive by securing important placements, including second place in game two and fourth place in game five. That was enough to reach the Championship Finals.
The Finals became a tense race to match point. Team Falcons was the first team to become match-point eligible by game six, and when Oblivion was eliminated first in game seven, Falcons looked close to winning the whole event.
However, Falcons also fell short, and Oblivion stayed alive. After being the first team eliminated in the previous two games, Oblivion completely flipped the script in game nine. The team collected 13 kills and eliminated both Supernova and Hotdog Mafia in the final ring to win the ALGS Year 5 Championship.
It was one of the most dramatic endings the scene has ever seen, and it gave Apex Legends esports another unique champion.
Every ALGS Championship Winner So Far
Year 1 did not have a single global champion due to the online regional format. Instead, five teams won their respective regional championships: Kungarna NA in North America, Paradox Esports in South America, SCARZ in EMEA, FENNEL in APAC North and WOLFPACK ARCTIC in APAC South.
From Year 2 onward, the ALGS Championship became a unified international title. DarkZero Gaming won in 2022, TSM followed in 2023, GoNext Esports lifted the Year 4 trophy in 2025, and Oblivion became the Year 5 champion in 2026.
The list also shows how unpredictable Apex Legends esports can be. Favourites have won, underdogs have broken through, and orgless teams have proved that a strong roster can still defeat the biggest names in the scene.
What Comes Next for ALGS Year 6
The ALGS Year 6 roadmap is already set, with teams once again competing across multiple regions for a place at the next Championship. The season begins with the ALGS Online Open and will include three LAN events.
The Split 1 Playoffs will take place during the Esports World Cup 2026, while the Split 2 Playoffs are set for the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The season will then conclude with the ALGS Year 6 Championship.
Teams can qualify for the Championship either through Championship Points earned in Pro League and Playoff events or by winning the Last Chance Qualifiers. In total, 40 of the best teams in the world will compete for the largest share of a $2m prize pool.
After years of changing formats, surprise winners and unforgettable Finals, the ALGS Championship remains the biggest prize in Apex Legends esports. And if history is any indication, Year 6 could easily deliver another champion nobody saw coming.
