Raynday thinks FaZe Clan are a team to watch at the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs

The ALGS Split 2 Playoffs in Mannheim are a crossroads in the battle to establish where dominance lies in the ALGS as things stand. Split 1 was won by players that all failed to qualify for Split 2. The Apex event at the EWC was won by Alliance, who are without their star player this time around. Team Falcons, the "super team" are playing in a meta that perhaps doesn't suit their strengths.

That sets the stage perfectly for Mannheim, with several teams in contention for a LAN victory. Will Team Falcons grab the LAN win everyone expects them to do, can Alliance go back to back even without Effect?

esports.gg spoke to ALGS Desk Host Raynday ahead of the Split 2 Playoffs about some of the key teams to watch out for when action gets underway.

Alliance finally got their long awaited LAN win at the Esports World Cup, just four weeks ago. However, they will not be in full force in Mannheim. Star fragger Effect was denied a visa and will not be able to play the event as a result. Replacing him is TylerFPS, former teammate of Unlucky and ex-NAVI and Element 6 player.

Raynday feels that this could be a huge moment for Tyler, who has never had a breakthrough LAN moment in the ALGS.

"One reason I'm excited for Tyler subbing in is that he and Unlucky came up together. We used to look at those two and their synergy of being fraggers together and say they have the ability to do anything. It didn't quite work in the lineup they were in, but if you take Hakis and his ability I think there is a big chance this team can still do well.

"The question is, and this is what I'll be curious about, does Unlucky trying to do what Effect was doing and take up that role, meaning Tyler slides into Unlucky's role? Or do they trust Tyler enough, and does Unlucky have experience enough with Tyler to go, no, he can do it, he can frag out with your guidance, Hakis, let me do my thing that got us to first in Riyadh.

"I think Tyler can fill Effects shoes. If you're Tyler, this is your moment. I'm so excited for him. What a great team and great story to keep an eye on over the four days in Mannheim."

For Alliance, perhaps the biggest negative of Effect's absence is the denial of any momentum between events. It's incredibly rare for any esport to have back to back LAN events like this. However, the game will also look radically different from event to event. The Season 22 patch overhauled several of the most played competitive legends, and added some new mechanics to contend with as well.

Raynday feels that this is going to be one of the hardest competitions in Apex Legends history.

"I think this is going to be the hardest competition for Apex legends in general, because when do we get back to back LAN's? People usually get home and said "I should've done that." Well, now you have the chance to do that just a few weeks later.  So we're going to see the people who have worked on their game and made adjustments.

"In terms of Alliance or anyone else carrying momentum, there has been a stark contrast in the meta we were just playing to now. We've gone from seeing a lot of Pathfinder, Catalyst and Bangalore to seeing things like Crypto.

"You know, when you got somebody on Crypto, does that mean that you have to tone down your individual skill, your individual aggressiveness in moments? And also realize that when you are getting aggressive, you have you have less to work with in a fight. You don't have a smoke. You don't have a scan. If you're not using that drone, you're just running at people empty essentially as Crypto. And so how do you best navigate that?

"I'm excited to see how the other regions come into play. APAC North, South America are both regions that played more strategic games with the likes of Crypto and Newcastle before. This is going to be such a drastically different meta that I do think we will get a new winner."

Eyes are naturally drawn to some of the big names when you preview a LAN event. Despite a challenging meta, Team Falcons are almost everyone's favourites. With other big names like Alliance, Luminosity and Legends Gaming often in the conversation too.

Which teams does Raynday think could be a dark horse at the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs?

"I've got two teams that have been on my mind. One is FaZe Clan. They've been performing well in terms of LAN events already, and now they have the backing of FaZe. Additonally they can take the confidence of playing the last LAN together. I think this is a team that has certainly threatened and they've proven they can be in the top 10 in that kind of atmosphere.

"Another team that for me has really showed up recently is Gaimin Gladiators. I've loved seeing their journey, especially Lufka. Don't forget he was one fight away from lifting a trophy in London back in February 2023. Now he has a chance to go one step further with this new squad.

"Blasts has also been so consistent. Not just being able to play whatever role his team needs, but his energy too. He brings a real family-oriented energy to the competition. His sister Charlotte was over at the event we were at a few weeks ago. It's a good energy to have around your team. Then there's lighT. What an up and coming star! He brings a young energy and fresh talent to the scene. I feel like Gaimin Gladiators are an org that's really investing in esports right now. So overall it's a great combination."

All eyes will be on Team Falcons when ALGS action gets underway in Mannheim. The super team fell just short at the Esports World Cup. They took an early lead, were first to Match Point but couldn't close out the win when it mattered.

For any other team second is a great result. For Team Falcons, it's a failure, says Raynday.

"I think they've got a lot of work to do and I think this comes at a very tough time for them because I know this team is is win or bust, win or go home and they didn't win [in Riyadh]. Now it's anything but a win and you start to question that if they are just going to get second place why did they make all these major changes to the team?

"I know that in a culture of excellence, like Zer0, Hal and Gen are, that they feel anything less than a win is failure. Winning is the only thing they anticipate."

"WeThePeople was telling the story about seeing Hal after the second place finish at the EWC and he was all down and dejected. He said how can you be sad, you just won like $300,000 right? Hal was like oh wait, you're right and started being a bit more bubbly.

"But their culture of excellence is what makes them so electric to watch. It's why people love them or hate them because they have that impeccable standard that just does not give any middle ground. Average just isn't allowed."

"I think they're in with a little bit more pressure now to win this one. There always would have been pressure, but a little bit more having come in second place.

"And I think Crypto slows them down. I think it's uncomfortable for who's going to play what they've been experimenting with Zer0 playing it. They've been experimenting with Genburten playing it. They've had Hal on Newcastle. None of these things sound right when you're talking about the players, but they're so good, they're making it work. But if they could pick anyone to play Apex with they wouldn't be picking these characters."

With that meta shift in mind, are Team Falcons still the ALGS Split 2 Playoff favourites in Raynday's eyes?

"I think they're absolutely the favorites because when I look at three players who can navigate any scenario in Apex, have the pedigree, have the experience, there's nobody else that comes to mind except Falcons as being number one. I think when we get to two, three, four, five, you start having a really good conversation. Then definitely when you get to five through 10, there's a lot of great teams right underneath.

But in terms of winning, I would've had Alliance up there too if they still had Effect, but right now who else can you say besides Falcons as being the favourite?"

The Esports World Cup was a huge turnaround for Sweet and Luminosity Gaming. They recovered from a very slow start to finish third, within touching distance of both Falcons in second and an overall match point win.

Sweet has been close to a major LAN win on a couple of occasions but has never quite managed to close out a title. However, the IGL expressed how motivated he was after the Esports World Cup and has been working very hard alongside his teammates between the two events.

Is this the time? Raynday thinks it could be time for Sweets first ALGS LAN win.

"I think this is the one for sure. It's gonna be a long time before they get this chance again. Who knows when the next bite at the Apple is? And I know that when you go back to back and you get third and you know, he's no stranger to performing well in match point finals. That's for sure. So, Sweet has done some miraculous things in match point finals.

"For me, their chances are determined by how much Fuhhnq steps up. When I met him, I thought, this could be one of the stars of our scene if he plays up to the level that I know Sweet knows he can play at. If not, it's going to be one of those moments where you got to say, Sweet, is he just going to pull a rabbit out of the hat? He's always that guy who's the last guy surviving on his team, making some crazy rat play. Will that be how he gets a championship? It's so hard to produce championships like that when three aren't alive.

"But you know, if one guy could do it, I'd say it's Sweet. I do think this is maybe not quite make or break for Sweet in his whole career, but for this year, it seems like this is the best opportunity to go ahead and grab a championship. And I would love to see him do it. I know the fans would love to see him do it. He's put so much time and energy in. It would be a great part of his story. A great part of his legacy, for sure."

You can see Raynday over on the PlayApex Twitch channel during the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs. Competition kicks off on Thursday, August 29. Stay tuned to esports.gg for full coverage of the ALGS and all things Apex Legends.