ALGS bans ImperialHal’s controller for Year 5 Championship

Team Falcons player Phillip ‘ImperialHal‘ Dosen has shared that his go-to controller has been banned ahead of the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) Year 5 Championship.

ALGS organisers passed the decision a day before the world championship event takes place in Japan, which the player called ‘a joke’.

In a post on social media, ImperialHal wrote: “My controller gets banned the day before $2m tournament. Gotta be a joke surely.”

As of writing, there is no public announcement from EA or Respawn Entertainment surrounding the controller ban.

ImperialHal confirmed in a response online that the device in question belonged to ZD Gaming. He also shared that the main point of concern was its wireless functionality, which can be altered at any point through a mobile app, as showcased in a past livestream. Furthermore, he added that the controller possessed other ‘macro stuff’ that cannot be disabled.

The player went on to argue that other big tournaments, such as the Esports World Cup, allowed multiple players to use controllers with similar capabilities. Additionally, ImperialHal also states that the ZD controller was allowed in past ALGS events.

ImperialHal’s controller ban comes just before the ALGS Championship takes place in Sapporo, Japan, on January 15th, with $2m in prize pool funds on the line. As a result, the Team Falcons representative will have limited time to find an alternative.

The 2026 ALGS Championship is the final cross-regional event that concludes Year 5 of Apex Legends esports. Headlined by Japanese rapper Reo ‘OZWorld‘ Okuma and the new anthem STIM UP in the opening ceremony, the tournament will run from January 15th to 18th, 2026.

The top 40 qualified teams from ALGS Year 5, including Team Falcons, Alliance, Shopify Rebellion and more, will play through several stages to secure a place in the Finals and be crowned this season’s champion.

Electronic Arts has also shared other crucial details ahead of the ALGS Championship, including map pool changes, unlockable in-game rewards through Twitch Drops, and more.