The 2015 Preseason Power Rankings

Riot·Jan 14, 2015·1 votes·307,944 views

Who is the best team in the world? While Worlds always ends the debate at the end of the year, every month leading up to October we wonder what would happen if the best teams clashed. Our favorite teams evolve every year, and even World Champions fall eventually. Will Faker and SKT rule over the ashes of Korea? Will the Korean exodus bring EDG to new heights in China? Can Cloud9 finally break through as a World championship contender? Will Rekkles continue Elements' legacy of dominance? Over the course of the next week, we’re counting down who we see as the best teams in the world right now. While we've ordered the teams in this article series, many of the teams have rosters that have played few (or zero) games together. We are speculating on their relative strength right now based on the players' and teams' performance in the past and how we imagine they will play together. So without further ado, Lolesports.com’s 2015 Pre-Season Power Rankings*. 20. AHQ Esports 19. Vici Gaming 18. Gambit Gaming 17. Team SoloMid 16. Unicorns of Love 15. Samsung Galaxy 14. Team Liquid 13. Team WE 12. SK Gaming 11. GE Tigers 10. Elements 9. KT Rolster 8. Star Horn Royal Club 7. LGD Gaming 6. Cloud9 5. Team King 4. NaJin e-mFire 3. OMG 2. Edward Gaming 1. SK Telecom T1 If you feel like we got it wrong, let us know in the comments below! Our Power Rankings panel is comprised of the following: Alex Manisier, Devin "PiraTechnics" Young, Cameron Gilbert, Erik "DoA" Lonnquist, Christopher "MonteCristo" Mykles, Tyler "Fionn" Erzberger, Kelsey Moser, Mattias "Gentleman Gustaf" Lehman, James "Obscurica" Chen, Michale "Drexxin" Lalor, Ryanne "Froskurinn" Mohr, Mike "Noctt" Huh, Chia "Reazony" Yu, Taylor "Riot RoboTayCo" Cocke, Jason "Riot Jayway" Wai, and Frank "Riot Mirhi" Fields. Check back to lolesports.com as we unveil the top 20 teams in the world, and check in every week to our regular Power Rankings once every league is in session. *Editors Note: We locked our rankings in pre-season. Week to week changes will resume after the start of the LCS the week of January 26

684 Comments

RudBoyJan 14, 2015246 votes

Just came here just to say how awful this list is already

The NotorìousJan 17, 201518 votes

TSM fanboy?

The Idiot NinjaJan 18, 201533 votes

If anything 17th in the world is overrating them, lol

Kom met jusJan 18, 201518 votes

quarter finals at worlds means 8th place right? Even though i know there are better teams in korea who didnt appear at worlds. i think 17th is slightly underrated. should not be much higher though.

SneakosJan 20, 201518 votes

Just came here to say you are entitled to your own opinion. So are they

HolyarrowsJan 14, 2015121 votes

I think ??? is way better than ???... like srsly... ??? had such an amazing roster changes while ??? only sign a mid tier korean player...

Danger GrandpaJan 14, 201539 votes

I agree ??? really didn't hit it this year, though i think ???'s Ahri player did waaaay better than ???'s mid.

YouEatMyTofuJan 15, 201531 votes

Nahh bro, u cant be serious. ??? rekt ??? straight up 1 on 1 during the summer season. ???'s teamates cant do shit either especially when they're playing against ???'s Rengar and JarvanIV . Best scenario, ??? get a spot for S5 worlds and get destroyed by everyone else at group stage.

TheSequelsRBadJan 15, 201527 votes

It's funny, but the team everyone is underestimating is ???, I think they had the best roster changes this season and can beat ???, ???, or ??? with ease.They should be near the top of this list not as far back as they are.

Also I am surprised that ??? is placed so high, wasn't impressed with them at all last year, and I think they will get destroyed by better teams form their region like ??? or ???.

nomenorssJan 15, 201513 votes

Are you kidding me????? ??? is the best there!

WindsighJan 15, 201515 votes

why have i even laughed so hard?

UbrixJan 15, 201512 votes

GO ??? ! I can't wait for the icon to come out!

JohahJan 15, 201544 votes

I just don't get why !!! isn't on this list.

EleshakaiJan 15, 201516 votes

If ??? doesn't get an icon this year, I'm going to be so ticked off. I'd buy ???'s icon in a second.

RIP my QsJan 14, 201536 votes

C9 #1

NsEternalJan 15, 201526 votes

C9 all the way

FyreNinjaJan 15, 201524 votes

Nice logo you got there :)

dabs 4 jezusJan 15, 201523 votes

C9 HYPE!

SVG PLAGUEJan 15, 201516 votes

TURN UP

super sp4rt4nJan 15, 201518 votes

C9 Whats That?

EnglishhJan 15, 20155 votes

GO Gentlemen Poros! they should be at #1

BerNacoLoJan 14, 201524 votes

Kabum?

MPeacecraftJan 14, 201528 votes

Mordekaiser Kabum es numero uno huehuehue

PercentHealthFTWJan 15, 20154 votes

Signed in just for the Mordekaiser XD Huehuehue

BARKBARKBARKBARKJan 14, 201520 votes

UNICORNS OF LOVE

webbstazJan 15, 20154 votes

I saw one game of them against TSM they wooped us :P

StirnaeJan 15, 20151 votes

but they are going to nerf range junglers next patch so it will be a nerf to uol

TheTrumpCardJan 16, 20156 votes

You underestimate them... they don't just do ranged junglers, they have 3 players that play all kinds of fun weird picks, and the mechanical skill and teamwork that merit respect without the off-meta fun stuff.

Changing to only 5 soft leashes before a hard leash is just nerfing that one odd stratergy of theirs, they have PLENTY more, and will contrinue to practice new ones as long as it's possible (which it always will be).

NekowaifuJan 14, 201516 votes

Gambit at 18?

This list is already terrible. They shouldn't even be top 20.

Chase 4 IQJan 15, 201517 votes

You'll soon see how wrong you are.

GlørÿJan 14, 201514 votes

I'm gonna make a guess

SKT
Najin E-mfire
EDG
OMG
KT Rolster
SHRC
IG
TPA
CJ Entus
Elements(Alliance)
C9 12 Team Liquid
ROCCAT
SK
WE
Samsung 17.TSM
Gambit
Vici 20.AHQ Reason why I didn't put all of the Korean/Chinese teams ahead of the western teams is because its lolesports and they're appealing to the english audience and the english audience doesn't like to hear that all/majority of the asian teams are that much better than the western teams.

CvilJan 14, 201562 votes

You put elements in front of cloud 9? Did you watch iem San Jose?

Sir CapricornJan 14, 201531 votes

And worlds, I mean seriously, hate me if you must but they are pretty overrated.

EleshakaiJan 15, 20154 votes

Elements is pretty overrated too.

amardil94Jan 21, 20154 votes

I think he was talking about Elements lol

GlørÿJan 14, 20159 votes

but it was only a best of 3, if it were to be a best of 5 the results could have changed. Thats the reason why I put Elements ahead of C9

A Wise FoolJan 15, 201519 votes

do you not realize how good c9 are at bo5s? if they arent completely outclassed they are known for adapting extremely fast

TehemaiJan 15, 201510 votes

He did not create that strength out of thin air... C9 is often praised for their ability to quickly adapt. Like that is one of the things people praise them for the most. Casters and other teams talk about it all the time, I don't know how you haven't heard this before.

One recent example of their ability to adapt is their performance at worlds, just look at how they were able to find weaknesses in top korean teams. Granted it wasn't enough because there was a severe skill discrepancy in some lanes but they more than proved their adaptability in the way they turned what should have been one sided matches into having the winners barely holding on to their nexus. One flukey bo5 doesn't take away a trait they show consistently in their play. As you said, c9 doesn't usually need to resort to this skill as they have historically 3-0'd most of their competition in NA.

AvocadoQwQJan 14, 20159 votes

Na OMG got uzi bro

supershoobaJan 14, 20153 votes

and gogoing

MOTDFJan 14, 201523 votes

and will finish second at worlds. its the Uzi Curse.

SprayGJan 14, 201511 votes

yo wtf is this its all question marks

FenrisWolfBroodJan 15, 201511 votes

Welcome to how this list is going to work. "Awww f*** this list its stupid they didn't put (insert random fanboy team) as #1 this is so gay!

Hi Im ShoggyJan 15, 20154 votes

Yep top 3 NA teams this year C9 CLG and Curse

EnglishhJan 15, 20158 votes

Sir, i think you accidentaly typed Curse instead of TSM, but it's fine we all make mistakes.

PieRulerJan 15, 20159 votes

TSM is NOT going to be better than Curse this split.

bykO1pLqxJJan 15, 201513 votes

Gonna be really hard for TSM to be worse than a team that doesn't exist. This is why you don't take the comment section seriously. People spouting crap when they know next to nothing about the game or teams. Not to mention everyone basing their opinions of TSM on a stupid preseason tourney that meant absolutely nothing other than fanservice.

BaghoolJan 16, 20155 votes

You're arguing over that but not him putting CLG into the top 3...? Double is washed up in competitive play and Link is outclassed by most mids.