“Cities of the world take note”: EA esports heads discuss ALGS’ return to Sapporo

For the second consecutive 12 months, the Apex Legends world champion will probably be topped in Sapporo, Japan.

In reality, the sport’s most essential occasion will probably be held within the metropolis for 3 years in a row, a sometimes uncommon selection on this planet of esports. Nonetheless, based on distinguished figures inside EA, the advantages are evident.

On the ALGS 2026 World Championship, Esports Insider Italy spoke to 2 key figures within the ecosystem: Sam Turkbas, Senior Director of Esports at EA, and Monica Dinsmore, Head of Esports at EA.

“The most important motive we determined to remain in Sapporo for 2 extra years final 12 months is the partnership with the town authorities, and we’ve been working very intently with them since final 12 months’s Championship,” mentioned Dinsmore. 

“Then there’s the fan zone space, which exploded in reputation, and this 12 months is an excellent greater expertise with engagement for attendees and extra alternatives for each manufacturers and native companies.”

In accordance with EA, over 38,000 tickets had been bought for the 12 months 5 ALGS Championship, together with a sold-out Sunday ultimate on the Daiwa Home PREMIST DOME. Furthermore, including new companions and constructing on the earlier 12 months’s expertise, fairly than beginning over, had been all the explanation why the workforce stayed in Sapporo. 

Turkbas additionally famous: “Our stage is 55 metres throughout, so not a whole lot of venues can match it.”

On the ALGS Championship, Hakis from Alliance and coach Liuq from Shopify Rebel underlined a significant downside with the connection between Apex Legends’ informal fanbase and the skilled scene.

Each famous that there isn’t a lot concord between the 2 sides of the sport. Each Turkbas and Dinsmore suppose the answer is protecting the sport’s professional scene as open as doable, highlighting “the Cinderella tales of newcomers that make it huge.” 

Turkbas said: “Apex has been out for seven years, and a few gamers have been enjoying it for as lengthy. The aspirational nature of the spectacle is a part of all sports activities, and simply because there’s skilled soccer on television you’re not prevented from enjoying with your folks.

“The ALGS is an open competitors; any workforce can come collectively originally of the 12 months for registration and to attempt to get to the Professional League and the Challenger Circuit. If persons are serious about attending to this degree, there’s loads of alternative to compete.”

On the organisational aspect, all gamers Esports Insider have interviewed on the occasion are hoping for extra assist from EA. Initiatives comparable to partnered skins, or the return of crowdfunding. 

When requested straight if such initiatives are on EA’s radar,  the corporate’s Head of Esports said: “They’re all the time on our radar, we’re all the time in search of extra methods to make the ecosystem extra sturdy and sustainable. 

“We’re introducing extra alternatives for execs with occasions just like the Esports World Cup, and we’re ensuring our prize swimming pools are significant and filled with alternatives. It’s one thing we’re all the time , however there’s nothing concrete we are able to share presently.”

The final 12 months was a interval of transformation for the Apex Legends International Collection, and having its Championship location set in stone for the foreseeable seemingly helped the workforce present stability. 

“We haven’t run one among our break up playoffs in a standard approach since 12 months 4 now, so we haven’t been in a position to apply the learnings from the Championship to one among our playoff occasions in mainly a season,” Turkbas added.

“We wish to convey what we discovered again, and we’ll as a result of we at the moment are setting the template for what good companion and fan engagement appears like right here in Sapporo.”

This template will serve each as an inside milestone for EA in addition to a showcase of the financial influence that an esports world championship can accomplish. 

“The factor that made us come again to Sapporo was the partnership with the town, with the venue, with Hokkaido esports organisations, and with the model companions,” mentioned Dinsmore. 

“This occasion is a extremely essential showcase for manufacturers, cities and venues to see how impactful an occasion just like the ALGS is to the native economic system, model visibility and entry to a brand new viewers. What we hope is to duplicate all this in different areas and venues, so take observe, manufacturers and cities that wish to activate with ALGS: that’s one thing I’d prefer to see replicated world wide.”

The ultimate act of the ALGS 2026 Championship would be the Match Level ultimate that can happen tomorrow, beginning at 12AM JST (4AM BST). Followers can watch the very best 20 groups on this planet on Apex Legends’ esports Twitch and YouTube channels.