ImperialHal

Early Career and Foundation with TSM

Phillip Dosen's path to Apex Legends began in other battle royale titles. He competed professionally in H1Z1 as part of Cloud9's roster in 2018. After that team disbanded, he transitioned to Fortnite before finding his competitive home in Apex Legends upon its release in February 2019. His professional Apex career was formally launched in March 2019 when he was signed by the organization Team SoloMid (TSM). His initial teammates on the TSM Apex roster were Jose "ProdigyAces" Soto and Taylor "THump" Humphries.

Hal quickly established himself as the core of the team. He was soon joined by Jordan "Reps" Wolfe, who would become his long-time teammate and duo for the next five years. The third spot on the TSM roster was fluid in these early days, with several players rotating through including Mac "Albralelie" Beckwith and Eric "Snip3down" Wrona. This period was crucial for Hal's development as the team's in-game leader, the player responsible for making strategic calls during matches. Competitive success arrived swiftly with victories at two significant 2019 invitational tournaments, the EXP Invitational at X Games Minneapolis and the Apex Legends Preseason Invitational.

The ALGS Era and Roster Stability

In 2020, the official Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) was launched by publisher Electronic Arts and developer Respawn Entertainment, creating a structured, global competitive circuit. TSM's search for a permanent third player concluded in December 2021 with the acquisition of Evan "Verhulst" Verhulst. The trio of Hal, Reps, and Verhulst would become one of the most recognizable lineups in the game. Their first major achievement together was winning the 2022 ALGS Split 1 Playoffs, a North American regional LAN event. This victory ended a nearly year-long period without a major tournament win for Hal and TSM.

However, consistency proved challenging. Later in 2022, the team placed sixth in the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs and a disappointing seventh at the ALGS Championship. The frustration from these results was palpable. After the Championship, Hal expressed his exasperation, stating, "I'm tired of fucking losing, bro," and suggested he was considering either leaving competitive play entirely or joining a different team. Despite the team's struggles, a moment of high sportsmanship from Hal occurred during that same Championship event. He instructed his teammates not to shoot a player from team Scarz after correctly deducing the opponent's connection to the game server had crashed, an act widely praised by the community.

Peak Performance and Historic Championships

The 2023 season marked the top of ImperialHal's career with TSM. The team won the 2023 ALGS Split 1 Playoffs LAN, a major international tournament. This victory was historic for Hal on a personal level, as it made him the first player ever to win an international tournament using both mouse and keyboard and a controller. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player for this performance. The peak of his TSM tenure came later that year when he led the team to victory in the most prestigious event, the 2023 ALGS Championship LAN. For this achievement, he was again awarded the tournament's MVP trophy and also received a Monster Energy MVP award.

His success extended beyond the ALGS circuit. In 2022, he won the Twitch Rivals LAN event at TwitchCon, teaming with players Sweetdreams and ReedzFPS. He also participated in charitable endeavors, joining the Apex Rising Charity Pro-AM in December 2023 to help raise money for Product Red, a charity focused on AIDS awareness and prevention. His individual accolades were formally recognized with a nomination for Best Esports Athlete at The Game Awards 2023.

Challenges, Departure, and a New Alliance

The 2024 competitive season began under a cloud of controversy. During the 2024 ALGS North American Split 1 Pro League Finals, a hacker disrupted the event and gifted Hal an aimbot, a cheating software, during a live match. Hal remained in the match but deliberately refrained from shooting until tournament administrators shut down the server. Following an investigation, Hal and Verhulst were given temporary bans and competitive cooldowns. TSM's performance never recovered, culminating in a deeply disappointing 17th-place finish at the 2024 ALGS Split 1 Playoffs LAN.

On May 13, 2024, Hal announced his departure from TSM after five years with the organization. In a significant move, he revealed he would form a new team with Rhys "Zer0" Perry and Noyan "Genburten" Ozkose, two star players from TSM's rival squad DarkZero. The destination for this new superteam was unclear until May 28, when it was announced they had signed with Team Falcons, a Saudi esports organization. The new alliance found immediate success, winning the 2024 Split 2 Pro League in North America and finishing as runners-up at the 2024 Esports World Cup.

Continued Success with Falcons and Legacy

The partnership with Team Falcons reached its early peak at the 2025 ALGS Open. This global event featured a record-breaking 160 participating teams and a total prize pool of $1,000,000. ImperialHal, Zer0, and Genburten won the tournament, securing $300,000 in winnings for the organization. In a post-tournament interview, Hal cited League of Legends player Faker as a personal inspiration. By this point, Hal's total career tournament earnings had officially surpassed $1,000,000 USD, confirming his status as the highest-earning Apex Legends player in history.

ImperialHal is widely considered one of the greatest Apex Legends players of all time. His aggressive playstyle and confident, commanding presence as an in-game leader made TSM a perennial favorite to win any tournament they entered, earning him the nickname "The CEO." A defining technical aspect of his gameplay is his proficiency as a dual-input player, adept with both mouse and keyboard and a controller, and known for switching between them.

Profile as a Streamer and Industry Figure

Parallel to his competitive career, ImperialHal has built one of the largest streaming presences in Apex Legends on Twitch. In 2022, he was described as pulling double duty as both the most successful pro player and the game's most popular streamer, an embodiment of Apex Legends itself, skillful, tactical, loud, and confident. His opinions on new characters, weapon balances, and meta shifts are frequently reported on by major esports media outlets, influencing community discussion.

His mainstream profile led to a signing with the talent agency UTA in April 2022. His high visibility has also had negative consequences, as he has been the target of multiple swatting incidents. His contributions to the scene have been recognized with nominations beyond pure gameplay, including a nomination for Best Battle Royale Streamer at the 2021 Streamer Awards. Through his championships, earnings, streaming dominance, and cultural impact, ImperialHal has become the defining figure of competitive Apex Legends.