Unlucky on Alliance's ALGS Year 4 Split 2 Roster: "Nobody Can Really Replace Effect"

Swedish organization Alliance have had a notable year, having secured wins at the ALGS EMEA Split 2 Pro League and making history at the inaugural Esports World Cup. But part of Alliance's winning formula has been their bulletproof roster: John “Hakis” Håkansson, Andre “unlucky” Türk, and Miron "Effect" Novikov.

Though the team was poised to make some incredible waves at the ALGS Year 4 Split 2 Playoffs in Mannheim, Germany, the team have now had to do so without Effect, after the frontliner has been unable to attend due to visa issues. Speaking with unlucky, the pro admitted that the shake-up to their usual roster set the team up with a slight disadvantage:

"Especially with Effect, like he's our frontliner, right? Nobody can really replace Effect," unlucky said. "He's an incredible player. So playing without him is obviously hard, right? But you’ve just gotta get through it, keep it professional." 

Filling in for Effect during this tournament has been British player, Tyler “Tyler” Woods, who  took over from unlucky after he left Orgless and Hungry to join Alliance. Tyler, along with the rest of the OAH team, were then signed by Natus Vincere.

• Read more: Alliance Hakis on ALGS Crypto Meta: “It's Like the Character is Made for Bad IGLs…”

Alliance faced the NAVI roster in the opening Group matches of the Year 4 Split 2 Playoffs, placing bith unlucky and Tyler against their ex-teammates. "Personally, for me, I'd say it's whatever," unlucky said. "I'm still friends with my ex-teammates, right? As Tyler is, as well. So I wish them my best, of course. But as my competitors, I don't want them to win, right? But I'd still be happy for them if they do end up winning."

Alliance's IGL, Hakis, said in an interview with us that it has been "easy" having Tyler fill in for Effect this tournament. "He already plays the character that he came into the team to play. He's already played with unlucky before on a previous team and he's basically had the same role as Effect on like every single team has been on. So, I feel like it's not too hard to just point him in the right direction of what we want as well."

The team, like many others, have had to adapt to the shift in meta that now favors Legends like Crypto and Pathfinder. Both Hakis and unlucky agreed that the meta changes are typically good, encouraging different playstyles, but that this particular meta hasn't been a hit with them.

"I personally don't like it because I can't play Fuse anymore," unlucky said. "I maybe could have but, you know. So I swapped to Pathfinder the last two days of scrims. I switched my character a bit to match up the playstyle because, as I said, Effect isn’t with us, so I've got to be a bit more frontline with Tyler.

It’s new for me as well, I’m learning characters. Even now, on LAN, I’m making mistakes. So it’s a bit hard for me as well."

Alliance are currently battling it out in the ALGS Year 4 Split 2 Playoffs, taking place in Mannheim, Germany. You can catch the action as it unfolds throughout the tournament on the official Apex Legends Twitch stream.