While there was a lot of anticipation when it was revealed that the first LAN of the third season of the Apex Legends Global Series will take place in London, uncertainty soon set in. No one anticipated that the UK would host all three ALGS LANs in 2023, despite London having long been touted to be the organization’s next LAN location.

But that’s precisely what ALGS officials said when they confirmed the venue for the Split One Playoffs, which would happen in early February of the following year. The choice to have three distinct events for a worldwide series in one place was swiftly criticized by Apex professionals.

London itself is not the problem. The city is unquestionably a suitable setting for an ALGS LAN, and numerous players from the UK will compete in the competitions that will be held there this year. The problem is that all of the LANs are concentrated in one place. And as ImperialHal so eloquently puts it, many Apex pros simply see a lost chance for the game they like.

The ALGS’s failure to seek to organize a LAN in Japan has been widely questioned by experts and content producers alike. Japan still has one of the most fervent Apex fanbases in the world, despite issues with possible prices and COVID-19 limitations that need to be resolved for competitions there.

Some of these worries have only been made worse by the recent revelation that the VALORANT Champions Tour will be visiting Japan and Riot’s success in growing the tactical shooter’s fan base there. The ALGS will conclude its second year with LAN events having only staged tournaments in Europe and North America, with four of five probable LANs taking place in EMEA, despite the fact that APAC North frequently supplies some of the strongest teams in Apex as well as a strong following.

The choice to have all of the year’s LANs in London also disadvantages other areas with strong links to Apex. Many of the most well-known teams still play in North America, which also hosted the ALGS Championship last year. The current lineup of DarkZero, which has won the previous two ALGS LANs, is Australian-born. Even if its teams have had exceptionally impressive performances in international competition, the APAC South area hasn’t seen any indication of the ALGS. Additionally, the IEM Rio Major in CS:GO shown how fervent South American esports supporters can be, particularly when the national teams of their nations are engaged.

All LANs being held in London should assist with some of the challenges that plagued ALGS LANs in the last year, such as the difficulty in obtaining visas for many players to attend LAN events. However, it doesn’t seem to mesh with the ALGS’s worldwide attitude or what it’s meant to stand for.

Plans are set in stone for the Split One Playoffs (and probably the playoffs for the second split as well, given that the official announcement provided solid dates for that event, too), but it is still unclear whether the ALGS will offer more fans the chance to watch one of their tournaments live in different parts of the world.