Zer0’s ALGS Championship goals with Team Liquid: “I have to smoke Falcons.”

Rhys ‘Zer0’ Perry, a member of Team Liquid, stands out as a key competitor to observe during the ALGS Year 5 Championship.

In 2022, he secured the championship with DarkZero, consistently placing among the top ten at nearly all past ALGS LAN tournaments. Zer0’s 2024 move to Team Falcons was anticipated to forge a formidable lineup with Phillip ‘ImperialHal’ Dosen, widely known as the ‘CEO of Apex’, but the team’s performance began to waver.

Even after achieving a second-place finish at the 2024 Esports World Cup, a third-place ranking at the previous year’s Championship, and clinching first at the 2025 ALGS Open, internal team frictions rapidly escalated. This friction culminated in a poor showing at the ALGS: 2025 Midseason Playoffs, where they ended up in sixth position.

By August 2025, Zer0 was placed on the inactive roster, and within ten days, he transferred to Team Liquid, assuming the role of their new in-game leader (IGL).

“I consider myself quite lucky; I’ve had the opportunity to play for some excellent organizations throughout my professional journey,” Zer0 shared with Esports Insider Italy during a discussion held in Sapporo.

“As I was entering the esports scene, my aspiration was always to join an organization I had admired since childhood. Teams like Team Liquid, TSM, G2, and C9 (Cloud9) were constant fixtures in my viewing during LCS. My time with Team Falcons was largely positive, until the discussions around buyouts began. With Team Liquid, the experience has been fantastic since my initial meeting with the staff in Los Angeles; everyone has been remarkably pleasant and hospitable.”

Zer0’s fellow players — Nicholas ‘Sikezz’ Odom and Nicholas ‘Fuhhnq’ Wall — possess distinct playstyles. Nevertheless, the squad has already achieved considerable success, securing a spot in the 2026 ALGS Championship by virtue of the seventh-place standing of the formerly independent team ZZ in the international standings. Their accomplishments also feature a second-place finish in the ALGS Split 2 Americas Pro League, surpassing Team Falcons, who ranked third.

“I had previously competed alongside Sikezz, and he is among my closest companions in Apex. Our acquaintance goes back many years,” the competitor mentioned.

“Fuhhnq has directly prevented me from winning two LAN events, so he certainly has a debt to settle. I am enthusiastic about competing with him, particularly as he is truly realizing his complete capabilities, especially after our boot camp.”

The day preceding the commencement of the tournament, Zer0 expressed unwavering faith in his team, now competing under the Team Liquid emblem.

“From a team perspective, our primary strengths lie unequivocally in our synergy and the suitability of our players for their respective roles: both of my teammates excel in their positions and are performing outstandingly,” he declared.

“When it comes to team combat, we rank among the top three in the game, and our confidence levels are also exceptionally high. Novice players often experience significant apprehension at LAN events, so we simply overpower them and secure victories as they tend to play timidly.”

Zer0 indicated that the tournament might also serve as an opportunity to settle some individual grievances.

“I absolutely intend to dominate Falcons. Also Crazy Thieves… and Alliance,” Zer0 observed. “Even with their dip in performance at the Esports World Cup, they remain the most reliable team, consistently securing either first or second place at nearly every LAN event.”

In response to inquiries regarding the game’s current condition, spanning both competitive esports and casual play, Team Liquid’s IGL emphasized a point he anticipates every other professional player in Sapporo would echo.

“The uniform response from every professional will be that we require an improved ROI (return on investment), such as a dedicated skin initiative, team-specific cosmetics, or crowdfunding opportunities for LAN events,” he stated.

“Four years ago, EA initiated crowdfunding for the Online Championships, which successfully doubled the prize pool, with promises of ongoing support. However, this never materialized, leaving organizations to struggle financially with their teams unless they achieve significant success or widespread popularity. Sustaining a team from the organizational perspective is quite challenging. The compensation players receive in this game, relative to other titles, is notably difficult due to the insufficient organizational backing from EA.”

Nonetheless, he also conveyed that the game maintains a robust standing.

Zer0 commented: “Recent seasons have seen an enormous surge in the player base, and had the game been destined to decline, it would have occurred around season 6 or 7, when its Twitch viewership only reached a maximum of 30,000.”

“There’s a constant perception that it’s nearing its end, but the game isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future. The player count is healthy, although the current ranking system is quite flawed for both professional competitors and casual players; it definitely needs adjustments.”

The 2026 ALGS Global Championship is set to feature the globe’s top 40 teams vying across four days of intense battle royale competition.

Hosted at the Daiwa House Premist Dome in Sapporo, the event will kick off with an initial group stage where each segment (comprising 10 teams) will clash to determine the seeding for both a winners and a losers bracket.

Following three days of competitive play, half of the participating teams—specifically 20—will be removed from contention, leaving the remaining 20 to fight for the championship in a match point finale.

The unique tournament format will award the global title to the squad that first accumulates 50 points through their performance across multiple games, subsequently securing the victory royale. Enthusiasts can follow every moment live on Twitch and YouTube, platforms that recently premiered the new official anthem by Japanese artist OZworld.