There’s a new ALGS dream team in EMEA, pairing up two of Europe’s most talented and popular Apex Legends streamers to take on the Preseason Qualifiers and try to make it into the Pro League.
The soloQgoats are no more with the departure of longtime member Nicholas “diffq” Espersen. But in its place, 40%Worse will rise up as Franco Samuel “xeriffer” Korompai and LG content creator Shivam “ShivFPS” Patel will be joined by TSM’s master of memes, Mikkel “Mande” Hestbek. Mande and Shiv both boast strong viewer counts on their personal streams, buoyed by their obvious talent and infectious personalities (as well as the occasional rant).
40%Worse isn’t short on competitive experience, however. Both Shiv and xeriffer are EMEA Pro League veterans from different squads, and they’re adding one of the most experienced ALGS players in EMEA in Mande. Having won the 2021 EMEA ALGS Championship during the competition’s online “COVID Era,” Mande has maintained an on-again, off-again presence in the scene while focusing on his content creation career. He impressed as a substitute player for Alliance in 2023, helping the team to a fifth-place finish at the Split One Playoffs and again filling in for part of 2023’s ALGS Championship when visa issues prevented Miron “Effect” Novikov from playing at the London LAN.
While Mande’s announcement tweet for the new team claimed he’d be “having fun and fucking around” with his new teammates for the remaining PSQs, it would be a mistake for any lobby to underestimate what 40%Worse can do.
Despite soloQgoats only managing a 16th-place finish in PSQ One, 40%Worse figures to be a favorite to come out on top of PSQ Two beginning on Dec. 2. The winners of each qualifier will automatically be entered into ALGS Pro League kicking off in 2024, with the remaining Pro League teams determined by most points gained from final lobby placements over the four PSQ tournaments.
The ALGS will return in full when Pro League play kicks off across all major regions around the globe on Jan. 20, 2024.
