ALGS 2026 Championship: Schedule, Format, Teams & How To Watch
The Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) 2026 Championship is the marquee event of the season, bringing the Year 5 circuit to its peak in Sapporo. Japan returns as host for a second consecutive year and is already confirmed for a third, reflecting the strong momentum driven by the Asia-Pacific region.
Here’s everything you need to know about the ALGS 2026 Championship, including the schedule, format, teams, prize pool, and ticket details.
- 1. ALGS 2026 Championship Location & Dates
- 2. ALGS 2026 Championship Format
- Group Stage
- Bracket Stage
- Finals
- 3. ALGS 2026 Championship Schedule
- Prize Pool Distribution
- 4. Teams Competing at ALGS 2026 Championship
- Championship Points
- Regional Finals
- Pro League Finals
- Last Chance Qualifiers
- 5. How To Watch The ALGS 2026 Championship
- Tickets
- 6. FAQs
- 7. References
ALGS 2026 Championship Location & Dates
The ALGS 2026 Championship will take place from January 15–18, 2026, at Daiwa House Premist Dome in Sapporo, Japan.
ALGS 2026 Championship Format
The Year 5 ALGS Championship arrives with many changes, including the debut of a new LAN structure, an expanded map pool, and the introduction of legend bans. Additional adjustments to the point systems, regional format, and prize distribution also change how teams qualify and advance.
That said, the tournament itself will follow the familiar two-stage structure: a Group Stage followed by a Bracket Stage.
Group Stage
In the Group Stage (January 15–16), four groups of ten teams will compete in a round-robin format. Each group plays three six-match series—one against each of the other groups—for a total of 18 games. For example, Group A will compete in three series over the next two days against Groups B, C, and D.
Bracket Stage
In the Bracket Stage (January 17), each round will comprise a single eight-match series. Based on the final scores, the top 20 teams will advance to the Winner’s Bracket, while the remaining 20 teams will move to the Loser’s Bracket (Round 1).
The top 10 finishers of the Winner’s Bracket will advance to the Finals, but the rest will drop to the Loser’s Bracket (Round 2). After Round 1 of the Loser’s Bracket, the top 10 teams that emerge will proceed to Round 2, while everyone else will be eliminated.
After the Loser’s bracket (Round 2), the top 10 teams will lock in spots in the Finals, and the bottom 10 are eliminated.
Finals
In the Finals (January 18), the final 20 teams will battle for the crown in the single Match Point Format. In this system, teams must play until they reach 50 points to become “Match Point Eligible.” After that, the first eligible team that wins a match will be crowned the ALGS 2026 champion.
Notably, the Apex Legends devs have made a major change for the ALGS Champs map pool, adding Olympus in place of Broken Moon. The map pool for the competition includes:
- World’s Edge
- Storm Point
- E-District
- Olympus
ALGS 2026 Championship Schedule
This table outlines the full ALGS 2026 Championship schedule, including each stage, date, and match start time.
| Stage | Date | Match Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | January 15–16, 2026 | 4:15 GMT |
| Loser’s Bracket (Round 1) | January 17, 2026 | 1:15 GMT |
| Winner’s Bracket | January 17, 2026 | 5:30 GMT |
| Loser’s Bracket (Round 2) | January 17, 2026 | 9:45 GMT |
| Finals | January 18, 2026 | 3:00 GMT |
Note: For more specific match fixtures, you can refer to the official ALGS website.
Prize Pool Distribution
The ALGS 2026 Championship features a total prize pool of $2 million. The prize money will be based on their final placement, distributed as follows:
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $600,000 |
| 2nd | $300,000 |
| 3rd | $200,000 |
| 4th | $160,000 |
| 5th | $120,000 |
| 6th | $100,000 |
| 7th | $80,000 |
| 8th | $60,000 |
| 9th | $50,000 |
| 10th | $40,000 |
| 11th | $30,000 |
| 12th | $28,000 |
| 13th | $26,000 |
| 14th | $24,000 |
| 15th | $22,000 |
| 16th | $20,000 |
| 17th | $18,000 |
| 18th | $16,000 |
| 19th | $14,000 |
| 20th | $12,000 |
| 21st–25th | $10,000 |
| 26th–30th | $6,000 |
| Grand Total | $2 million |
Teams Competing at ALGS 2026 Championship
There are 40 teams competing for the $2 million prize pool at the ALGS 2026 Championship. Each team earned its rightful spot through a long season of tough matches. The top 26 teams with the highest Championship Points qualified, alongside the winners of the Regional Finals.
Each region’s #1 team from the Apex Legends Split 2 Pro League also received a direct ticket into the tournament. The final two spots were claimed through the Last Chance Qualifiers. If any slot overlapped, it passed to the next team in the Championship Points standings.
Championship Points
- Team Falcons (#3)
- VK Gaming (#4)
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (#5)
- Team Liquid (#6)
- 100 Thieves (#8)
- Wolves Esports (#9)
- S8UL Esports (#10)
- Five Fears (#11)
- GROW Gaming (#12)
- ENTER FORCE.36 (#13)
- ROC Esports (#15)
- Citadel Gaming (#16)
- Sentinels (#17)
- Fnatic (#18)
- Al Qadsiah (#19)
- GoNext Esports (#20)
- ex-NAVI (#21)
- Virtus.pro (#22)
- FYR Strays (#23)
- RoadHouse (#24)
- LEGACY (#25)
- Hotdog Mafia (#26)
- TSM (#27)
- SBI e-Sports (#28)
- KINOTROPE Gaming (#29)1
- JD Gaming (#30)2
Regional Finals
- Boogie Boarders (S2 APAC-S PL Finals)
- Alliance (S2 EMEA PL Finals)
- SYRALE (S2 APAC-N PL Finals)
- Shopify Rebellion (S2 Americas PL Finals)
Pro League Finals
- Gen.G Esports (S2 APAC-S PL Winner)
- UNLIMIT (S2 APAC-N PL Winner)
Last Chance Qualifiers
- Team Mango (APAC-S #1)
- Outside (APAC-S #2)
- Supernova (EMEA #1)
- FaZe Clan (EMEA #2)
- RIDDLE (APAC-N #1)
- REIGNITE (APAC-N #2)
- Oblivion (Americas #1)
- Men of Culture (Americas #2)
Note: 1 Alliance qualified for both Regional Finals and Pro League; an additional slot was added to the Championship Points. 2 Shopify Rebellion qualified for both Regional Finals and Pro League; an additional slot was added to the Championship Points.
How To Watch The ALGS 2026 Championship
All of the ALGS 2026 Championship games will be broadcast on the tournament organizer’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Tickets
Tickets to attend the tournament in Sapporo are available for purchase directly through the ALGS website. The prices range from JP¥ 1,995 ($13) to JP¥ 15,200 ($97). There is also a student discount for both regular and premium packages, for which you have to present your valid Student ID on-site.
| Class | Regular | Premium | Student (Regular) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 15 | JP¥ 1,995 | $13 | – | JP¥ 1,439 | $9 |
| January 16 | JP¥ 2,420 | $15 | – | JP¥ 1,840 | $12 |
| January 17 | JP¥ 4,400 | $28 | JP¥ 5,280 | $34 | JP¥ 3,292 | $21 |
| January 18 | JP¥ 5,200 | $33 | JP¥ 6,050 | $39 | JP¥ 3,820 | $24 |
| 3-Day Package | JP¥ 11,500 | $73 | – | JP¥ 8,592 | $55 |
| 4-Day Package | JP¥ 13,500 | $86 | JP¥ 15,200 | $97 | JP¥ 10,000 | $64 |
FAQs
When and where will the ALGS 2026 Championship take place?
The ALGS 2026 Championship will be held at Daiwa House Premist Dome in Sapporo, Japan, from January 15–18, 2026.
What is the ALGS 2026 Championship prize pool?
The ALGS 2026 Championship boasts a massive $2 million total prize pool, with the champions set to take home $600,000, divided equally among the team members.
How can I watch the ALGS 2026 Championship?
You can watch all the action of the ALGS 2026 Championship on the tournament organizer’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Where can I purchase ALGS 2026 Championship tickets?
You can purchase tickets to attend the ALGS 2026 Championship in person directly from the ALGS website.
Who can win the ALGS 2026 Championship?
Alliance, Gen.G Esports, and 100 Thieves are the three favorites at the ALGS 2026 Championship.
References
- ALGS Year 5 Championship | Official Website (ALGS)
- Playapex (Twitch)
- Apex Legends Global Series (YouTube)
- Apex Legends™ Global Series Year 5 Championship (Algschamps Zaiko)
