GoNext shocked the Apex world at the ALGS Y4 Championship finals, as the underdogs lifted the trophy and showcased the strength of EMEA after a successful upper bracket run.
One of the longest-standing duos in Apex, Hiarka and Uxako, have been teammates since early 2021, playing alongside zhidan since August. Their orgless roster was eventually signed by GoNext in October, an investment that has paid its dividends now.
Nine teams went into match nine after passing the 50-point threshold. Performing amazingly all Championship, avoiding the Elimination Bracket altogether, GoNext took everyone by surprise in the Match Point Finals. While Alliance and Team Falcons were the first to hit match point in five games, but couldn’t close the deal as the EMEA veterans kept playing catch-up to ultimately snatch the trophy from them.
They weren’t the only contenders: All eyes were on Luminosity Gaming, where match nine’s results shocked viewers as sweetdreams fell agonizingly short of winning his first LAN. Fans in the thread noted the “heartbreak” for Alliance, who were ridiculously close to winning two games in a row but ended the tournament with a second-place finish, taking away $320,000.
Zone knowledge and positioning took precedence in this meta, where timing your Gibraltar bubble and Newcastle wall is crucial to being the last time alive. But what led GoNext to victory wasn’t just their positioning inside a caravan throughout the match—safe from the chaos surrounding them—but their Catalyst pick. Cutting what remained of the small zone in half, they had a moment to breathe, calm their nerves, and punish Virtus.pro and Luminosity with Catalyst spikes.
GoNext is the fourth different team to win a LAN in year four of the ALGS, marking this the most unpredictable year of Apex Legends esports. “These boys are the best team in the world,” Hiarka shouted into the microphone in the post-match interview, adding, “we came into here being underdogs and we left as champions.”
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