Hey everyone,
The Apex Podcast’s (TAP) group preview series has been a great resource for someone like me who can’t follow Pro League closely but still loves the scene. Huge thanks to Wyatt, Jumba and Don, and to guests JHawk, Onset, Greek and Dan Gaskin. Your insights are truly appreciated!
https://www.youtube.com/@TheApexPodcast
I’ve colour-coded all 40 Vegas teams based on what I took from the four episodes. I don’t know these teams well enough to claim this as expert analysis. The tiers are my own reading of the hosts’ takes, made for discussion. Rosters are from Pro League data, so late changes are possible.
Tier colours follow Apex loot rarity.
Some of my reasoning:
- Title favourites are only the four teams the hosts most often named as possible winners. All four are from the Americas; that’s my reading of where the previews pointed (but see ZETA below).
- Sentinels stay contenders despite a poor split, because they finished 1st and 3rd at their last two LANs.
- UNLIMIT stay contenders as defending champions, even after a shaky Pro League.
- Shopify Rebellion and NiP are finals favourites on talent, but either could easily drop a tier.
- Gen.G are on the bubble, but they can ruin anyone’s day.
The one I went back and forth on: ZETA as a title favourite
TAP made a strong case for them. They were one fight from winning the last LAN, and they lost it from low ground on blue armour. JHawk calls YukaF the region’s greatest ever, Mike dropped 92 kills, and JHawk and Jumba both see ZETA as APAC North’s best shot at winning.
But they also raised doubts. JHawk couldn’t name their win condition: YukaF’s teams keep reaching match point without taking the game-winning spot. They played no Catalyst this split, and Don flagged rotations where they float on edge without a plan.
Weighing both, I kept them as contenders for now.
PS: TAP’s draft episode comes out next week, so I might post an updated version once their final picks are in.
What are your thoughts? Any team you would move up or down? Would you have ZETA as title favourites?