ImperialHal

ImperialHal
ImperialHal in 2023
Personal information
NamePhillip Dosen
Born (1999-05-31) May 31, 1999 (age 25)
NationalityAmerican
Career information
GameH1Z1
Fortnite
Apex Legends
Playing career2018–present
Team history
2018Cloud9
2019–2024Team SoloMid
2024–presentTeam Falcons
Career highlights and awards
Twitch information
Channel
Followers2.0 million
Last updated: May 15, 2024

Phillip Dosen (born May 31, 1999),[1] better known by his online alias and gaming handle ImperialHal (or simply Hal), is an American professional Apex Legends player currently playing for Team Falcons.

Nicknamed "the CEO", Hal played as the In-Game Leader (IGL) for Team SoloMid (TSM) from 2019 to 2024. With TSM, he won three Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) LAN tournaments, including the 2023 ALGS Championship. He left TSM in 2024 and was signed to Team Falcons, a Saudi esports organization.

Esports career

[edit]

TSM (2019–2024)

[edit]

ImperialHal has competed professionally in H1Z1 and Fortnite, though he is most notable for his Apex Legends play.[1] He has played Apex Legends competitively since the game released in 2019.[2] He played on Cloud9's H1Z1 roster in 2018, though once the team disbanded, he began playing Fortnite.[3] He was then signed to play Apex for TSM in March 2019, alongside Jose "ProdigyAces" Soto and Taylor "THump" Humphries.[4] Hal would be a mainstay for TSM and would eventually be joined by Jordan "Reps" Wolfe, who would be his long-time teammate until 2024. Over their time together, they were joined by several players in the third spot on the TSM roster including Mac "Albralelie" Beckwith, Eric "Snip3down" Wrona, and Evan "Verhulst" Verhulst.[5]

He was a winner of both the EXP Invitational – Apex Legends at X Games Minneapolis event, as well as the Apex Legends Preseason Invitational; both invitationals took place in 2019.[1] In 2020, the Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) was launched by Apex's publisher and developer, Electronic Arts (EA) and Respawn Entertainment, respectively.

In December 2021, Verhulst joined TSM and the Hal/Reps/Verhulst trio would be successful in ALGS play.[6] TSM won the 2022 ALGS Split 1 Playoffs, a North American regional LAN.[7] Prior to the win, it had been nearly a year since Hal and TSM won a major tournament.[8] The team experienced further struggles later in 2022, placing sixth in the Split 2 Playoffs and seventh in the ALGS Championship. During the latter, Hal instructed his teammates to not shoot at a Scarz player, noticing his connection to the game's server had crashed.[9] Viewers and fellow competitors praised Hal's sportsmanship.[10] The team's lackluster performances at these LAN tournaments frustrated Hal who stated "I'm tired of fucking losing, bro," and suggested he was considering "either not playing competitive anymore or just joining another team".[11]

For the 2022 Twitch Rivals LAN event at TwitchCon 2022, Hal parterned with "Sweetdreams" and "ReedzFPS"; the trio won the event.[12][13] Hal and TSM would win the 2023 ALGS Split 1 Playoffs LAN.[14] Hal's win made him the first player to win an international tournament as both a mouse and keyboard (MnK) and controller player.[15] He was also named the tournament's MVP.[15] Later that year, Hal led TSM to victory in the 2023 ALGS Championship LAN and was awarded the tournament's MVP trophy.[6][16] In December 2023, Hal participated in the Apex Rising Charity Pro-AM event, helping raise money for the Product Red, an AIDS awareness and prevention charity.[17]

A hacker disrupted the 2024 ALGS North American Split 1 Pro League Finals.[18][19] Hal was affected by the hack, being gifted aimbot during a match.[20] Hal stayed in the match, though refrained to shoot until the server was shut down by admins.[19] Hal and Verhulst were given bans and competitive cooldowns.[19] Ahead of the 2024 ALGS Split 1 Playoffs, Hal joined the Red Bull Gaming team.[21] TSM had a disappointing 17th-place finish at the Split 1 Playoffs LAN.[5]

Team Falcons (2024–present)

[edit]

On May 13, Hal announced his departure from TSM and that he would be joining Rhys "Zer0" Perry and Noyan "Genburten" Ozkose from TSM's rival DarkZero.[5][22] Though it was initially unclear if the three would play for DarkZero or another organization,[22] on May 28, it was announced the trio signed with Team Falcons, a Saudi-based organization believed to be connected to the Saudi royal family.[23]

Player and streamer profile

[edit]

Known for his aggressive style of play and previously serving as the IGL (in-game leader) TSM, ImperialHal is considered one of the greatest Apex players of all time.[3][5][8] During his time with TSM, the team was often a favorite to win tournaments.[8][24] His Apex success has earned him the nickname "The CEO".[8][25] He originally played as an MnK player, before switching to controller and becoming known as a dual-input player, frequently switching between the two.[15][25] He is also the highest-earning Apex player of all time.[2][26]

Hal has also garnered a reputation as one of the biggest Apex streamers through his presence on Twitch.[27] In 2022, Adam Snavely of Dot Esports wrote that "The TSM leader pulls double duty as both the most successful pro player in the history of Apex and the game's most popular streamer. If there is a person that is an embodiment of Apex, it is ImperialHal: skillful, tactical, loud, and confident. Always confident."[8] His opinions on the game, such as new character introductions or meta changes, have been often discussed by esports media outlets.[28][29][30] In April 2022, it was announced he signed to UTA.[31][32] A high-profile streamer, Hal has also been the target of several swatting incidents.[33][34]

Awards and honors

[edit]

ImperialHal was nominated for the "Best Battle Royale Streamer" category at the 2022 Streamer Awards.[35] He was also nominated for "Best Esports Athlete" at The Game Awards 2023.[36]

Notelist

[edit]
  1. ^ The 2021–22 ALGS Split 1 Playoffs were regional. As part of TSM, ImperialHal was a winner of the North American Regional playoffs for this Split.

Reflist

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Phillip 'ImperialHal' Dosen: Esports – Red Bull profile". Red Bull. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Bull, Tom (May 9, 2024). "Apex highest earning players – who is #1?". esports.gg. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Wazir, Saeed (May 6, 2021). "ImperialHal's Streaming Setup for Apex Legends: Headset, mouse, keyboard, and more". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  4. ^ Fitch, Adam (March 6, 2019). "TSM recruits three-man Apex Legends roster". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Sledge, Ben (May 14, 2024). "Apex Legends GOAT ImperialHal Leaves TSM". TheGamer. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Landis, Robbie (September 11, 2023). "ALGS 2023 Results: TSM Crowned Apex Legends Global Series Champions". Esports Illustrated. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  7. ^ Snavely, Adam (January 24, 2022). "TSM are the kings of North America in ALGS playoffs". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e Snavely, Adam (February 17, 2022). "ImperialHal on ALGS, Storm Point, and nearly ending his competitive career". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  9. ^ Blake, Vikki (July 10, 2022). "Pro Apex Legends player holds back from shooting disconnected opponent in $2m Global Series". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (July 10, 2022). "Pro Apex Legends Player Chooses Not to Kill a Disconnected Opponent in a $2 Million Tournament". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  11. ^ Snavely, Adam (October 20, 2022). "'I'm tired of f*****g losing': ImperialHal is fed up with TSM's performances in competitive Apex Legends". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  12. ^ Bull, Tom (October 8, 2022). "Apex Twitch Rivals: Top IGL's Sweet and Hal unite to win LAN". esports.gg. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  13. ^ Richman, Olivia (October 9, 2022). "IGLs ImperialHal and Sweetdreams team up to win Twitch Rivals, featuring dramatic 24-kill final game". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  14. ^ Landis, Robbie (March 17, 2023) [February 7, 2023]. "TSM Storms ALGS Split 1 Playoffs Finals". Esports Illustrated. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Labilles, Justin-Ivan (February 6, 2023). "ImperialHal cements dual-input legend status with ALGS MVP win". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  16. ^ Sledge, Ben (September 10, 2023). ""Pressure Is Our Friend": ImperialHal Explains How TSM Won The ALGS Championship 2023". TheGamer. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  17. ^ Marie ZT, Hannah (November 17, 2023). "ImperialHal, Verhulst, Hakis headline pro lineup for Apex Legends Apex Rising charity event". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  18. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (March 21, 2024) [March 18, 2024]. "Apex Legends Global Series Tournament Abandoned After Pros Hacked Mid-Match". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Taifalos, Nicholas (March 17, 2024). "What was the Apex Legends Destroyer2009 hack? Huge ALGS esports breach, explained". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  20. ^ Cryer, Hirun (March 18, 2024). "Major Apex Legends tournament postponed as pros fall victim to hacks mid-game, leading voluntary cheat watchdog to warn others off EA games for now". GamesRadar+. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  21. ^ Chen, Amy (May 1, 2024). "ImperialHal talks Red Bull Gaming and ALGS Split 1 Playoffs: "Other teams are not really an issue"". esports.gg. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Marie ZT, Hannah (May 13, 2024). "ImperialHal leaves TSM to join former rivals on Apex super team". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  23. ^ Taifalos, Nicholas (May 28, 2024). "Apex legends ImperialHal, Genburten, and Zer0 join forces on Saudi-backed superteam". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  24. ^ Sledge, Ben (January 31, 2023). "Coaching And Confidence: How TSM Is Preparing For The ALGS Playoffs". TheGamer. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Landis, Robbie (May 17, 2023). "Mouse & Keyboard vs Controller in Apex Legends: Which do the Pros Prefer?". Esports Illustrated. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  26. ^ Davison, Ethan (October 13, 2021). "How much does ImperialHal make?". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  27. ^ Sledge, Ben (March 19, 2024). "Should You Be Worried About The Apex Legends' Hack?". TheGamer. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  28. ^ Martinello, Eva (January 4, 2024). "'Made for bad players': ImperialHal argues legends like Conduit don't belong in Apex". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  29. ^ Tsiaoussidis, Alex (October 9, 2023). "ImperialHal fears Modern Warfare 3 will be final nail in coffin for Apex viewership". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  30. ^ Bennett, Connor (September 29, 2023). "ImperialHal explains why he finds Apex Legends "boring" but still plays". Dexerto. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  31. ^ Beresford, Trilby (April 28, 2022). "Twitch Streamers ImperialHal, Hiko, Maximum and More Sign With UTA (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 15, 2024 – via AOL.com.
  32. ^ Gutelle, Sam (April 28, 2022). "UTA is beefing up its esports roster by signing top 'Apex Legends' and 'Valorant' players". Tubefilter. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  33. ^ Williams, Demi (August 1, 2022). "Professional 'Apex Legends' player ImperialHal swatted while streaming". NME. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  34. ^ Aguilar, Jorge (July 30, 2022). "ImperialHal swatted while streaming, police allegedly tell him to "do something about it"". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  35. ^ Polhamus, Blaine (March 13, 2022). "All 2022 Streamer Award Winners". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  36. ^ Richman, Oliva (December 8, 2023). "Esports Award Winners at The Game Awards 2023". Esports Illustrated. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
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