EA and Respawn have unveiled the Apex Legends Global Series competitive calendar for Year 6. The calendar is headlined by a $7 million total prize pool—a $1 million increase from the previous season. The roadmap establishes three major international LAN events with $2 million at stake for each.
The announcement follows a record-breaking Championship in Sapporo that sold over 38,000 tickets according to the ALGS. Year 6 introduces roster transfer windows, minimum match requirements for Championship Points, and expanded Legend Bans while maintaining the signature competitive elements that defined the highly successful Year 5 circuit.
Online Open kicks off Year 6 competition
The ALGS Online Open—formerly Preseason Qualifiers—kicks off the competitive season with four qualifier weekends scheduled for Feb. 28 to March 2, March 7 to 9, March 14 to 16, and March 21 to 23, 2026. Winners from each regional qualifier earn direct Pro League Split 1 entry. Alongside the direct entry, each qualifier will also award points towards an overall tally, allowing the next four teams per region to advance based on consistent results.
Registrations for the Online Open are already live on ALGS’s official website, maintaining the open competition format that has powered the ALGS since inception.
Pro League returns with two-split structure
Pro League Split 1 begins April 4 to 5, 2026, featuring 30 teams per region competing across Americas, EMEA, APAC North, and APAC South. Each split follows a triple-round-robin format followed by Match-Point format Regional Finals. Twenty-two teams per region receive direct invitations based on prior results, with the remaining eight spots filled through the Online Open.
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Performance across both Pro League splits determines qualification for each split’s Playoffs while contributing to the season-long Championship Points race. The Challenger Circuit runs alongside Pro League competition, offering aspiring teams a pathway into top-tier competition through four open qualifier weekends per split.
Esports World Cup to host ALGS Split 1 Playoffs
Split 1 Playoffs will be the first international LAN for the ALGS in Year 6, taking place at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 7 to 11, 2026. The event represents a return to the fan-favorite Split Playoffs structure, with Year 6 marking the first time in two years that both splits feature dedicated Playoffs LAN events. Year 5 notably featured only a single Midseason Playoffs rather than separate split competitions.
The five-day event brings together 40 teams competing for $2 million in prize money and Championship Points. Year 5 Midseason Playoffs champions VK Gaming receive an automatic invitation to defend their title. The tournament features a slightly adjusted format from last year’s Midseason Playoffs at EWC, including a round-robin Group Stage, Last Chance Series, and Match Point Finals. Performance at Split 1 Playoffs directly impacts regional slot allocation for Split 2 Playoffs, rewarding strong international showings.
ALGS Split 2 Playoffs arrive in Las Vegas
The second LAN event takes place at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 2026. As the final pre-Championship event, Split 2 Playoffs represents the last opportunity for teams to secure major prizing and crucial Championship Points ahead of the year-end showdown.
The four-day competition features 40 of the world’s top teams competing for $2 million and valuable POI draft positioning ahead of the Last Chance Qualifier and Championship. The event follows a distinct format from Split 1 Playoffs, beginning with a round-robin Group Stage before transitioning to a double-elimination bracket and culminating in a Match Point Finals series.
ALGS Year 6 Championship returns to Sapporo
The ALGS Championship returns to Sapporo, Japan for the third consecutive year, scheduled for Jan. 28 to 31, 2027 at the Daiwa House Premist Dome. The venue has established itself as the series’ premier Championship location following consecutive sold-out events.
Forty teams compete for the Year 6 Championship title and $2 million prize pool through the signature ALGS three-stage LAN format. Competition begins with a Group Stage featuring POI drafts based on tournament seeding, followed by a Double Elimination Bracket where performance determines advancement. The event culminates in Championship Sunday’s Match Point Finals, where the year-long competition reaches its conclusion.
Related—ALGS Year 6 Championship Results: Unsigned team Oblivion win
Thirty-two Championship spots are earned through Championship Points accumulated via Pro League and Playoffs results throughout the year. The remaining eight teams qualify through the Last Chance Qualifier in November 2026, where the top two teams from each region secure the final Sapporo berths. This qualification structure emphasizes season-long consistency while preserving a final path for late-surging teams, such as the Oblivion squad that stormed from the LCQ to lift the Year 5 Championship trophy.
Year 6 also introduces official roster transfer windows during Pro League competition, occurring after Match Day 6 of each split. The windows aim to promote roster stability and reduce mid-season disruptions while providing fans clearer team identities.
Players must now compete in a minimum of 12 Pro League matches with their team for Championship Points to count toward that team’s total. The same 12-match requirement applies to LAN events, ensuring Championship Points accurately reflect consistent player contributions.
Legend Bans will also expand into the Challenger Circuit for Year 6, aligning amateur competition with the Pro League’s strategic elements. The system rewards adaptable teams with wider Legend pools over one-trick players who dominate with a single character. And ALGS is also listening to player feedback, as the APAC South Pro League will transition to a 10-day broadcast schedule per split, eliminating doubleheader match days in Year 6.
