Saudi-backed organization Falcons has made inroads into another esport today following its shock acquisition of superstar Apex Legends squad DarkZero. Australian duo Genburten and Zer0 linked up with TSM’s ImperialHal before the buyout, with the trio now set to don the black-and-green for ALGS NA Split Two and beyond.
The announcement was made public in a May 28 post on X (formerly Twitter) and comes a few days out from ALGS Split Two and, crucially, two months before the next S-tier LAN at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The team, who has yet to debut with their new third in ImperialHal, will still call North America home in the interim.
DarkZero, meanwhile, has also released substitute Sikezz, coach zz, and analyst Privacy as the org reevaluates its position in Apex, which was not confirmed in today’s announcement. “Thank you Zer0 and Genburten for an incredible past two years, you have impacted DarkZero forever,” the org said. “There will never be enough words to describe how much you both mean to us. No matter where you go we will always be rooting for you.”
Genburten and Zer0 joined DarkZero two years ago from Reignite and, alongside now-former teammate Sharky, put Australia on the Apex map in a big way with a huge victory at the ALGS 2022 Championship. Two years and numerous titles later, including a 2023 Split Two Playoffs win and a second-place finish in Los Angles’ Split One Playoffs earlier this month, the team has cemented its legacy in the esport.
They’ll now represent Team Falcons, a Saudi Arabian org which has shown major interest in multiple top esports titles such as Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 ahead of the Esports World Cup on home soil later this year.
Many gaming fans and pundits have likened Falcons’ push into esports to “sportswashing,” where an org or country attempts to rectify its image by making heavy investments in sport and entertainment. While Falcons’ backers have never been formally announced, it is believed they have connections with the Saudi royal family.
Falcons Apex is expected to make its debut together on June 1 at ALGS Split Two, before appearing on LAN in Riyadh at the Esports World Cup in July.
