iiTzTimmy sets high expectations at ALGS Championship as his first major Apex Legends tournament
Red BullTwitch streamer Timothy ‘iiTzTimmy’ An will soon take to the stage with ‘The Dojo’ to compete at the biggest tournament of his life. After the team shocked everyone, including themselves, at the LCQ, Timmy now has high expectations for his squad at ALGS Championship 2023.
When Timmy announced his return to compete at the top level of Apex Legends earlier this year, the anticipation was mixed with palpable skepticism. No one doubted his mechanical skill, but at the highest level, leadership and coordination of the squad are paramount.
TSM’s ImperialHal specifically questioned the team’s lack of an experienced IGL, but had to later eat his words when The Dojo, featuring Timmy, Tyler ‘Dezingful’ Gardner, and Alexander ‘Enemy’ Rodriguez, made it all the way through the Last Chance Qualifier, and in impressive fashion.
Speaking to Dexerto during their bootcamp in London, Timmy admitted that he also had some doubts about the team’s chances at the LCQ.
“I will not lie, I did expect us to do well, and get to the finals, but it was really up in the air if we would actually win the tournament, because it was the first time that we had played such a big and competitive tournament together.
“I was personally shocked, and I know the boys were very happy as well, because we could see the emotions when we won. Everybody was very teary.”
But now attention must turn to an even bigger and more competitive tournament for The Dojo. The ALGS Championship features the 40 best teams from around the world, descending on Birmingham to challenge for a share of the $2 million prize pool.
External expectations for the team may be tempered, but after their blazing run at the LCQ, iiTzTimmy and his teammates are setting a lofty goal.
“I think our team will make finals,” Timmy said, “and not only that, I expect at least a top-ten finish from us.
“I do want to say that the teams who have been playing the last two or three LANs are probably more ‘ideal’ to win, because obviously they’ve been in these situations before, nothing’s really new to them. They just need to perform on the day. For us, we haven’t been on stage for a while.”
Timmy believes that in the latter stages, it will come down to whether the mistakes they have been making in scrims will happen again or if they will simply “go nuclear.” In scrims, however, the team has been encouraged by their performances, placing well and learning from their mistakes.
Becoming an IGL
The Dojo arrived in London on August 31 and have been bootcamping at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere, which features top-end PC hardware, and creator rooms for the players to stream from.
Red BullThey completed two full days of scrims and practice, with Timmy estimating around nine-hour sessions each day. The team is abundantly aware that they are playing catch-up against some of the best opposition.
“It was a lot of practice, I really got a good amount of warm-up beforehand, now that the tournament is in two days. I think we are really prepared.”
But all this practice may still not make up for some of the earlier doubts about this team: Timmy’s ability to IGL.
“I was always that player who was mechanically good, I think everyone can see that. That was my strong suit. My IGL skills back then weren’t the greatest, because Apex was the first game I competed in. I didn’t have any battle royale experience, or competitive experience at all.
“It’s a lot easier now, knowing that we have, like, ‘set plans’. I don’t have to build a brand-new play out of nothing, anymore. It’s more like, ‘Let’s do that same play we did in scrims.’ From those, I have been getting better at making new plays on the spot, just small things. ‘Oh, there’s a team in our spot? Let’s go here instead.’ So I think I’ve improved a lot as a player and in my IGLing skills.
Timmy also describes his teammate Dezignful as a ‘co-IGL’ who can support him in tough spots. “He definitely helps me a lot. He’s done it in the past, he has experience, so he can tell me whenever I call for something and it’s super outlandish.”
Contesting POIs
The Dojo may not have the pedigree as a squad that some of their rivals do, but Timmy is not shying away from competing for drops against the likes of NRG and Alliance, the latter of which they share a group with.
“We’ve been contesting Alliance at Thermal, we’ve been going back and forth for sure, and they’ve been doing really well against us,” Timmy admitted. However, Alliance will be without Miron ‘Effect’ Novikov at least during the group stage due to visa issues, with Mikkel ‘Mande’ Hestbek stepping in.
Respawn EntertainmentMande is still a talented player, but Timmy thinks this may upset the team’s synergy, giving them a better chance to win those fights. As for other teams and maps, The Dojo know when to contest for their favorite spots and when to give them up, to give themselves the best chance.
Timmy’s top 3 Championship predictions
Not including his own team, we asked Timmy to predict the top three after all is said and done at ALGS Champs, and he wasted no time in naming DarkZero as clear favorites. The 2022 world champions come into this year’s final as the Split 2 Playoffs winners, too, and there is no reason to question their streak continuing.
Split 2 playoffs runners-up TSM are next on Timmy’s prediction, given their undeniable consistency, with Oxygen Esports his final nod, a newer roster that he says has been “dominating” NA and that secured third place at Split 2.
Stacking up against these rosters, and many others at Champs, would make most teams that have been together only a few months doubt their chances. But Timmy exuded a quiet confidence that with their momentum from the LCQ, and the work they’ve been putting in, there is no reason they can’t make finals – and from there, “go nuclear.”