North America is solidly at the top of the Apex Legends competitive scene heading into 2023 ALGS Split Two, and interest is at an all-time high, with teams hoping to bounce back for the second half of the circuit. However, one organization is threatening to withdraw completely for different reasons.
After three years, SpaceStation Gaming, a long-established NA organization, has officially released its roster of Mark "Dropped" Thees, Joseph "Frexs" Sanchez, and Angello "Xenial" Cadenas.
The trio has had excellent international performances throughout their lifetime, with a fifth-place finish in the 2021 NA Championship, sixth-place finish in the 2022 Championship, and most recently sixteenth place in the 2023 Split One Playoffs.
Shawn "Unit" Pellerin, SSG's chief executive officer, clarified in a follow-up tweet how Electronic Arts and Respawn's lack of fair revenue sharing policies made it difficult to keep investing in the competitive landscape. SSG expressed its desire to return to Apex should EA change its mind about revenue sharing.
With the return of the ALGS Team Shop to the 2022 Championship, the competitive Apex scene was most recently highlighted in-game, including the now-defunct G2 Esports, Cloud9, and Team Liquid initiatives, each of whom released their rosters during Split One of the NA Pro League.
Despite the partnership, each team expressed concerns about EA and Respawn's commitment and handling of the pro scene, eventually leading to their departure from the ALGS.
Unit is the second CEO of a major organization to speak out against the unfair relationship between EA and the ALGS teams. TL's CEO, Steve Arhancet, highlighted the lack of developer support for the competitive landscape.
"We strive to only participate in games where the developers support the teams, so that the teams may support their players in turn," he wrote in an open letter. "We hope that, one day, competitive Apex might follow that model and that we might resume the competition."
SpaceSation's spot might be taken by the Sentinels, who are looking for a fresh roster following the drop of their Split One team.
Despite previous reports that SSG practiced without him before the London LAN, not all members may stay beyond the transfer. Frexs and Xenial are yet to discover a third before the next split.