Yuki decides to take a break from competitive Apex Legends
On February 3rd, the official Alliance account announced that Yuki has made the decision to take a break from competitive activities within Apex Legends. The player will participate in their last weekend with the current roster (EMEA Pro League on February 4th), as well as take part in the Asia Apex Festival show match before stepping down from the organization’s active lineup. Alliance will later announce the individual who will replace Yuki. The 2023 Championship will mark Yuki’s final appearance at LAN events as a member of Alliance.
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Yuki takes a break
The guy has been playing Apex Legends at a professional level since the game’s release. Throughout his career, he has been a part of five professional teams, but it was with Alliance that he stayed the longest, taking his first break from the competitive scene.
Yuki first joined Alliance on August 31, 2021, replacing Ha “iPN” Nguyen at the start of ALGS Season 2. The team immediately found success, securing second place in the EMEA Pro League and making it to the playoffs twice before surprising the world with an eighth-place finish in their LAN debut at the 2022 Championship. From that point on, they established themselves as leaders in the EMEA region.
The team continued to dominate, consistently leading the region throughout the season, never dropping out of the top five in the Pro League 2023, and even surpassing their regional rivals from NA when Yuki emerged victorious in a memorable duel against ImperialHal from TSM in the Split One playoffs of 2023, further boosting the team’s popularity on the global stage.
The Rise of Yuki and Alliance
Yuki and Alliance’s rise to dominance in the EMEA region was attributed to the team’s willingness to experiment with unconventional compositions and their confidence in their gameplay against traditional meta tactics employed by opponents. Yuki caught attention during the Split Two of the Pro League in 2023, leading Alliance to a first-place finish with a significant lead, incorporating unusual picks such as Newcastle, Rampart, and Ash.
However, despite their consistent success in their home region, Yuki and Alliance were unable to secure any LAN trophies, falling behind at international tournaments in 2023 as other teams adapted to the evolving meta and found ways to counter Alliance’s pocket picks. The Split One playoffs ended with a respectable fifth-place finish, but Alliance dropped to ninth place in the Split Two playoffs and unexpectedly fell to nineteenth place in the final event, marking the organization’s lowest LAN placement in its history.
Entering 2024, Alliance continued to struggle in the Pro League, finishing the first round in twelfth place with 20 points in the league, including several games with zero points. Alliance must finish no lower than eighth place in the standings to qualify for the Split One playoffs, currently trailing aNc Outplayed and 2R1C by nine points. If Alliance fails to maintain their performance after Yuki’s departure, the organization will miss the LAN stage for the first time since joining the Pro League.
Over the past two years, Alliance had called upon Mikkel “Mande” Hestbek as a substitute player for emergency situations, such as player visa issues. However, this “emergency backup” is no longer available as Mande has formed his own team, 40%Worse, during the offseason, which qualified for the EMEA Pro League through the PSQ, closing the door for Alliance and leaving many wondering who will fill the shoes of one of the greatest players in the EMEA region.
