ImperialHal defends TSM’s conduct amid Apex Legends “data mining” controversy

Apex Legends pro Phillip ‘ImperialHal’ Dosen has offered a lengthy response to TSM’s controversy regarding “data mining” game end-zones, explaining that he does not like how it was made all about TSM and that he does understand the issue fully. 

Apex Legends’ competitive community has recently been shrouded in division and confusion after claims surfaced that famed esports organization TSM had been “data mining” map endings to better understand how matches might end. 

The revelation divided pros, with some defending the org and suggesting it is a common tactic in the Apex Legends professional scene. They also pointed out that the information has been made publicly available in the past. 

Others, though, argued it amounted to breaking Respawn’s ‘competitive integrity’ rules and that a further investigation should take place. 

In a November 30 broadcast, TSM’s ImperialHal, who is not one of the individuals directly accused of carrying out the data mining, responded to the controversy fully. 

In a lengthy response, he explained that he dislikes how the entire situation has become oriented around TSM – reflecting an earlier claim he made that other teams had used the tactic – and explained that he does not fully agree with its labeling as “data mining”. 

“Bringing up the subject is fine but how it was carried out is not fine,” he said. “Utter bullsh*t. Raven could have left? Raven’s intention was to go in there and talk to them as like adults and explain everything.

“I cannot explain the whole situation because I’m not gonna just open my f**king data and show it to you on stream just so I can prove what it’s all about and what it means. I cannot explain in words without having like a picture and that’s the issue. It makes me look sketchier right, but I either give away all my information so people can understand or I just keep my information to myself and people like [speculate].” 

He went on to explain that the publicity around the situation has been so acute his own father asked him for an explanation, but that he does not understand it sufficiently to explain it. 

He finished: “How am I supposed to explain to my father this whole thing I just can’t. I don’t even understand how it works. I just have a map bro and I can read the map. That’s all I know about it. I can’t even explain it to my Dad how it works, how am I supposed to explain it to thousands of people.

“It isn’t even data mining. What I understand from Raven, it isn’t even data mining, it’s something different. But like I said I can’t explain it because I don’t understand it. So I’m not gonna speak because I don’t know what it would be described as, how the action is done. I’m just given information and that’s it.”

At the time of writing, there has been no word on an ALGS or Respawn investigation into the matters.