TSM Verhulst receives EA’s Positive Player Award for Apex Legends
The ALGS consistently brings together the best Apex Legends players from around the globe to compete at the highest level.
In order to take home the victory at a LAN event, a team needs top-tier mechanics, leadership, and incredible synergy when it matters. However, an element of success that often gets under appreciated is positivity and sportsmanship.
EA are looking to rectify this with the inaugural Positive Player Award that aims to champion the most positive players in the Apex Legends pro scene.
Well, the winner of the first ever Positive Player Award for Year 3 of the ALGS was announced at Champs, with TSM’s very own Evan 'Verhulst' Verhulst taking the crown.
TSM Verhulst crowned with EA’s Positive Player Award
Click to enlargeOver 120 nominees were considered for the accolade, but after deliberations from an award panel and over 60,000 votes from members of the community, Verhulst was deemed the winner.
Speaking on the award, Verhulst recognised that sportsmanship is a trait that often goes under the radar in competitive play and thanked EA “for seeing the positive things I try to do.”
Verhulst’s teammates on TSM made it clear that the controller star is a true advocate for positive play and someone that maintains this behavior even during high pressure situations.
When intense skirmishes are taking place or a situation is looking helpless during a match, sometimes it’s important to have a player that remains cool against the odds and keeps the squad in a positive headspace.
EA’s Positive Player Award wider impact on community
Click to enlargeAt the Year 3 ALGS Champs, GGRecon got a chance to sit down with the Senior Director of Esports Brand and Marketing at EA, Monica Dinsmore to shed some light on the wider impact of the Positive Player Award.
By announcing the accolade at ALGS Champs, EA hopes to showcase how important sportsmanship is at the highest level of play.
“[We] really believe in the power of positive play and to us that means that if you are participating in our gaming community, we want you to feel safe and included.”
“EA created the Positive Player Award to recognize true sportspersonship within the ALGS; an individual who demonstrates positive play, and hopefully inspires those around them to do the same.”
Dinsmore also made it clear that EA are keen to bring the Positive Play Award to their other esports communities. However, for now, Verhulst has taken home the trophy for sportsmanship and we’ll have to wait until next year to see if he retains the title.
