The Apex Legends Global Series was founded in 2019.
Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment announced the ALGS in December 2019 as the official global competitive tournament series for Apex Legends. The announcement came during the game’s first year, after a growing competitive scene had already formed around online tournaments and invitational events.
The inaugural ALGS competition began in January 2020. Its original plan included online tournaments, regional events and major live competitions, with teams earning points toward the championship. The first season became unusually prolonged and fragmented because the COVID-19 pandemic forced live events to be postponed or replaced with online regional competition.
That history explains a frequent date mix-up. 2019 is the founding and announcement year, while 2020 is the year the first ALGS events were played. The inaugural season is commonly identified as ALGS Year 1 or the 2020–21 season because its championship concluded in 2021.