I went to the London ALGS LAN event alone. I'm not doing that again.
I posted this in r/apexlegends recently and figured this community might appreciate it too.
I've been a massive fan of Apex since the simpler days of the Mastiff and Kraber being the only care package weapons. To speak frankly, I have no Apex friends. Well, I have 1, but he's your typical, run of the mill Apex friend who doesn't enjoy leaving his room, suffers from social anxiety, and whose worst nightmare is large events with lots of people. I was ecstatic to hear that the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs had come to London, England, and of course, my only Apex friend would not come with me, so I decided for the first time ever, to go alone. I was especially excited to see ImperialHal leading TSM against big names such as Sweetdreams with NRG, and Zer0 and Genburten with DarkZero. Whether it was deliberate or not, TSM, DarkZero, and NRG were set up right next to each other in the arena, and the nerd in me couldn't get enough of it. It was an amazing, immersive experience which I'd recommend any Apex fan to attend at least once in their life. What I also noticed was how many other people had come alone, just like me, sat around me, watching the same game, probably feeling the same thing. That stuck with me.
I've recently come to realise that my Apex gaming addiction isn't a curse or something to be ashamed of, but more simply my post-work and weekend hobby, and I no longer care about what people think of me about my passion for the game. We're living through an epidemic of loneliness in our generation, which I unfortunately became a victim of last year. I had left my well-paid stable job to travel to Australasia, met loads of new people all over the world who I'm still in contact with today. Despite meeting all these beautiful people, I eventually returned home and fell into the deepest hole I've ever found myself in. My gf broke up with me. I was unemployed, broke, overweight, living with my parents, with no one to reach out to and no support system. I knew something had to change. I eventually found the courage to take myself to therapy, which I'd recommend everyone should do, or at the very least reach out to someone. I discovered that people, myself included, are so concerned that they might be bothering someone with their problems and mental health issues, but imagine this. Imagine hearing that someone significant in your life was struggling mentally and didn't reach out to you, all because they were afraid of burdening you with their issues. Would you feel bothered by them simply reaching out to talk?
I don't have a community, so here I am, writing into an Apex Legends Reddit forum. But I want that to change. I want to bother people, and I want them to bother me too. We're the most connected generation in history, and somehow the loneliest.
There's a point to all of this, I promise. And if you've made it this far, maybe we're not so different. I'm going to the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs in Las Vegas, October 29 to November 1 2026. I just booked my flights. I'd like to meet likeminded fans of the best BR in esports history. And even if that's all it is, come to an unforgettable ALGS event, watch your passion played at the highest level, and have an incredible time with us in Las Vegas. But hopefully, with time, we could bother each other too.
(FYI, this isn't self-pity, it's an outstretched hand. Down 15kg, back in work, and looking to move out. If you were where I was, this post is for you.)
TLDR: I attended the London ALGS event alone, fell into a dark place shortly after, clawed my way out, just booked my flights to Las Vegas for the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs, October 29 to November 1 2026. If you're an Apex fan who's ever felt disconnected, come with us.
