I don’t think we popped off, but we didn’t do bad.
It’s a pretty boring, average day.
But for a team withstandards as high as TSMs, its nothing special.
The organisation is synonymous with competitiveApex Legends, having lifted the trophy at numerous LAN tournaments across the globe.
But Verhulst thinks they need to do better for repeat past success in Sapporo this year.
We’ve been consistently getting top five in scrims, but we haven’t won anything.
The other difference in Sapporo to Birmingham this time last year is the lack ofPhillip ImperialHal Dosen.
The biggest name in the esportleft TSM in Mayto join a supergroup under the banner of Team Falcons.
Verhulst himself admits it was a huge gamble, but its one that seems to be working out.
“We have no excuse not to get top two this time around.”
Is there still any bad blood between TSM and the IGL who left them?
Its hard to say, but theres certainly some competitive needle.
Photo courtesy of EA and Joe Brady
I definitely don’t want Falcons to win.
They’d be the worst team who could possibly win, Verhulst tells me.
A New Era For TSM In Apex Legends
As for TSMs own chances?
Photo courtesy of EA and Joe Brady
Verhulst is as confident after their first round of matches as he was coming into the tournament.
I’m 100 percent confident our team can win, he says.
Anything less than top two would be pretty sad.
Photo courtesy of EA and Joe Brady
Still, hes confident.
We have no excuse not to get top two this time around.
But the casters curse (or, in this case, writers curse) doesnt bother Verhulst.
Photo byJoe Brady
If you don’t have that mindset, what are you doing?
he asks, rhetorically.
Are you going to play for third place?
Anything less than top two in Match Point is - if youre not first, youre last, right?
However, Verhulst and his teammates have been preparing for the shift.
To avoid jet lag, we set our sleep schedules to the Japan schedule, he explains.
I don’t feel jet lagged at all.
“Ive wanted to play Rampart forever.”
It clearly hasnt impacted their performance.
Part of that is thanks to Verhulsts decision to play as Rampart.
Eventually, he wasnt left with any choice but to force her into TSMs team composition.
Ive wanted to play Rampart forever.
I always thought she’d be really good because she’s the only counter to Newcastle.
I didn’t, he says.
I just played it.
Zap didnt want me to, but I’m likenah, I’m playing Rampartand we just tried it.
Nearly every other team followed suit.
But that wouldnt have allowed TSM any chance to practice themselves, and likely would have limited their potential.
Theyve just got to get past Falcons first.
Apex Legends bad boys made the ALGS B-stream a cult hit.
