PLP shake off disappointing debut with ALGS Pro League victory

PLP got a much needed ALGS Pro League victory, as they shook off a poor opening week showing. They were pushed all the way by Complexity, who also improved on their opening week showing.

The roster of Frexs, Xynew and Phony fought much better today, averaging an impressive 5.16 kills per game.

PLP were the subject of much focus during the week. They took heavy criticism for their cluttered and frantic communication. This roster, who have performed very well in scrims, finished a very poor 16th in their first performance.

Today, it was like watching an entirely different team. PLP were clinical, executing two really impressive game wins. Their Storm Point win was especially impressive, wiping DarkZero and resetting in time to turn and face Sentinels who had control over a lot of space in the zone.

But perhaps the turning point for PLP came in game five. They managed to hold off Complexity, bunkering down and biding their time till their attention turned elsewhere. For PLP, this was really crucial. Denying Complexity the win wasn't just worth the usual amount of points. With Complexity in second, just behind them, this move helped them open up a lead.

Having lost the focus of Monsoon, Lou and Kimchi PLP were able to get on the front foot. Carefully maneuvering towards a key spot in the zone while other teams fought, they were able to swing around the zone and eliminate their closest rivals in the blink of an eye.

This is the fighting chemistry and razor sharp execution that fans expected when this team formed and their poor showing last week can now be simply written off as a blip. PLP have immense ALGS LAN experience, and will expect to qualify to the Split 1 Playoffs.

Complexity flew under the radar across pre-season. Last season's coach Kimchi has stepped up into a playing position, joined by Lou. Lou was himself a very late addition to the roster, after Reptar decided that now was not the time for his competitive return.

Complexity performed fantastically across the days games. In particular Monsoon was a standout star. The Apex Legends veteran grabbed countless kills at range. From Sentinel, to Bocek to 30-30 Repeater Monsoon grabbed additional kills for his team left right and centre.

His ability to grab a free kill or open a fight up with big damage was a huge factor behind Complexity finding a lot of success today.

The energy and team chemistry was phenomenal from the Complexity roster today. Monsoon and Lou competed together, all the way back at the ALGS Pre Season invitational in Poland. That chemistry and energy seems to have stood the test of time.

However, don't be fooled by the appearance that this team was overexcited and not serious about their games today. The Complexity team showed immense patience time and time again, with a great example coming in their game four win.

Complexity had near perfect macro for this game. They set up to gatekeep teams from Tree, with Monsoon guarding the path with his Sentinel. They worked their way into a strong building, and made a great call to allow all the other teams to collapse together before bursting out to clean up a win.

The use of Loba on Worlds Edge was particularly exciting to see. Loba is especially powerful when she is hardly used. Complexity never lacked resources, having a ready supply of ammunition, attachments and ordinance thanks to the Black Market.

With so many strong teams in North America it is easy to forget teams like Complexity. This team certainly has a way to go to qualify for LAN, but they took a big step towards that target today and will hope to replicate this level of performance throughout the rest of the split.

Besides the outcome of the games, today's ALGS action also saw another milestone. Bangalore reached the fabled 100% pick rate on Storm Point. This comes despite the Assault Legend getting nerfed at the start of Season 19.

These changes have had no impact on her pick rate, and neither has the reduction in the availability of Digital Threat scopes. ALGS was a core reason behind that attachment disappearing from the crafting rotation all together.

It will take more than small nerfs to knock Bangalore out of the meta. If she is ever to fall away, alternatives and stronger options will need to be introduced. The situation resembles that of Valkyrie, who only dropped out of meta when the EVAC Tower was introduced.

What makes Bangalore so powerful is just how useful she is. Some legends are very situational, but Bangalore has a wide coverage with her abilities and has value in essentially every scenario and any playstyle.

It will be seen if the upcoming Season 20 update might do anything to knock Bangalore down from this pedestal.

PLP and Complexity will hope to carry their momentum into the next weekend of ALGS. Stay tuned to esports.gg for the latest ALGS news and Apex Legends updates.