Evan “Verhulst” Verhulst Wins First-Ever EA Positive Play Award at ALGS Champs 2023

During today’s Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) Championship 2023, EA presented the first-ever Positive Play Award to Evan “Verhulst” Verhulst. This award is designed to recognize those having a positive impact in EA games communities, and Verhulst is the first one thanks to the effect he’s had on the ALGS scene.

EA has been planning the Positive Play Award since earlier this year during the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs. Over 60,000 people voted for Verhulst out of 120 nominees, many of whom we were told also pointed to him as the one person who deserves the award.

Related: Apex Legends Global Series Championship 2023 Complete Guide: Who is Winning & How to Watch

Verhulst Humbled by Being Given the EA Positive Play Award

The ALGS Championship 2023 has been running this week, with Finals Day taking place today. However, amidst all the furious Apex Legends action, EA took the time to present TSM’s Verhulst with its first-ever Positive Play Award. The award recognizes a creator/personality’s impact on their community among both their peers and followers. Almost everyone at the event agrees that Verhulst deserves this award the most.

The EA Positive Play Award was given to Verhulst during Finals Day at the event, which can be viewed above. It says something about the importance of this award that EA paused the most frenetic day of the event to give it out.

Verhulst was almost lost for words when asked for his thoughts after being told he’d won. “What would you say if you won the Positive Player Award? Thank you to EA for giving this award. Thank you for seeing the positive things I try to do.”

Verhulst has been described by teammates as an advocate for positivity, even in high-pressure situations. He’s a real inspiration to everyone at ALGS, though, as we’ve heard multiple times while speaking to them during the event. EA wants to champion positive play and put it front and center at one of its biggest events for one of its most popular games.

This first award is just the start, and more will be presented in the future. The criteria for this award are fairly fluid. Positivity is a hard thing to define, but a person’s actions across everything they do, where they have a responsibility to others and their fans, have all been taken into account before they’re even added to the list of nominees.