Skip to content

Power Rankings - 6/23/2015

Riot··0 votes·46,667 views

Just when we thought things had settled into something resembling a natural order, the paradigm shifted yet again. This week we saw major upheavals in both China and Korea, and the result has left the international landscape an unstable landslide of teams shifting all around. 

Marquee matches around the world continue this week with CLG vs. TSM, H2K vs. Fnatic, Vici vs. Qiao Gu, and Jin Air vs. Najin. Each of these matches gives us another piece to solve the puzzle that is the 2015 League of Legends season.

Come take a glimpse at what changed this week...

KOREA

[[{"fid":"17053","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/full_width_scale/public/KT_vert.jpg%3Fitok%3Dd0v-izfQ","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","style":"width: 300px; height: 421px; margin: 10px; float: right;"}}]]

  1. ( - ) SKTelecom T1 (7-0) [14-2]
  2. (+1) KOO Tigers (5-3) [12-8]
  3. (+3) Najin e-mFire (5-2) [11-6]
  4. (+1) Jin Air Green Wings (5-2) [11-5]
  5. (-3) CJ Entus (4-3) [9-9]
  6. (-2) KT Rolster (5-2) [11-6]
  7. (+2) Anarchy (2-6) [8-13]
  8. (-1) Samsung (2-6) [7-12]
  9. (-1) Incredible Miracle (2-5) [5-12]
  10. ( - ) SBENU Sonicboom (0-8) [1-16]

(Match Score) [Game Score]

There are some pretty abrupt changes here. In past rankings, we've touched upon the KOO Tigers' resurgence, and they appear to have regained their pre-IEM Katowice form finally. On the other hand, CJ Entus has hit a wall and have lost three straight matches to land at 4-3.

This isn't to say that CJ Entus is a bad team -- from 2nd to 6th place in LCK is challenging to rank. KT hasn't looked as impressive as they did, but they are still a solid team. Jin Air and Najin are starting to live up to the potential we've seen in them with ADC stars Woo-hyung "Pilot" Na and Gyu-min "Ohq" Oh on a tear.

[[{"fid":"17054","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/Najin_hori.jpg%3Fitok%3DKkA37pzM","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","style":"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;","width":"700"}}]]

Jin Air has a doubleheader of difficult matches coming this week against Najin and SKT that will show us the pecking order of the top teams in Korea. 

Finally, we'd like to add that Anarchy is finally showing some of its teeth that we saw at the beginning of the season. If they can keep their momentum going, they might find a way to sneak into Playoffs.

Panel: Alex Manisier, Erik "DoA" Lonnquist, Christopher "MonteCristo" Mykles, Chris "PapaSmithy" Smith and Mike "Noctt" Huh

CHINA

[[{"fid":"17055","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/full_width_scale/public/Kakao%2520InSec%2520vert.jpg%3Fitok%3DvuFgJUxi","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","style":"width: 350px; height: 451px; margin: 10px; float: right;"}}]]

  1. ( - ) Edward Gaming (5-2-3)
  2. (+1) Qiao Gu (4-0-5)
  3. (+1) Snake (3-2-5)
  4. (-2) Invictus Gaming (5-4-2)
  5. ( - ) OMG (3-1-6)
  6. (+1) Vici Gaming (2-1-7)
  7. (-1) LGD Gaming (2-3-5)
  8. (+3) Masters 3 (3-2-5)
  9. ( - ) Team King (1-5-4)
  10. ( - ) Royal Never Give Up (2-3-5)
  11. (+1) Team WE (1-5-4)
  12. (-4) Unlimited Potential (1-4-5)

Record format is (W-L-T)

This isn't the first week where Invictus dropped some games and looked vulnerable. But this time we can't rationalize it nearly as much and have dropped the team accordingly.

QG is now the last team to not drop a set, but we don't know how long that will last. Their form is good, but they remind us of Snake last season -- a team without much growth potential.

[[{"fid":"17056","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/Dandy%2520and%2520Spirit.jpg%3Fitok%3D_LDRWykv","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","style":"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;","width":"700"}}]]

EDG remains 1st despite their recent struggles -- most of it can be attributed to their continued roster experimentation. However, if they continue to demonstrate weakness, someone could overtake them. The biggest move this week is Masters 3. They're coming off one of their best weeks of the season, going 2-0 over IG, 1-1 with Vici, and 1-1 with QG. Eo-jin "Dade" Bae looks to be rounding back into his MVP form, and if he can re-emerge as the superstar he once was, Masters 3 could upset teams in the Playoffs.

Panel: Barento "Raz" Mohammed, Michale "Drexxin" Lalor, and Carlos "H0tsawce" Bravo.

NORTH AMERICA

[[{"fid":"17057","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/full_width_scale/public/Dyrus_vert.jpg%3Fitok%3De9Jb1aCE","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","style":"width: 350px; height: 375px; margin: 10px; float: right;"}}]]

  1. (+1) Counter Logic Gaming (7-1)
  2. (+1) Team Dignitas (6-2)
  3. (+1) Team SoloMid (6-2)
  4. (-3) Team Liquid (5-3)
  5. ( - ) Gravity (5-3)
  6. ( - ) Team Impulse (4-4)
  7. ( - )  Enemy Esports (3-5)
  8. ( - ) Cloud9 (2-6)
  9. ( - ) Team8 (2-6)
  10. ( - ) Team Dragon Knights (0-8)

Maybe things aren't so bad in North America after all. While we still don't think there are many (if any) teams ready to break down international walls, some good teams are starting to emerge. We think.

Last week we thought Team Liquid was the "Prince who was Promised," before they disappointed with a 0-2 week that could have catapulted them to powerhouse status. But now we hang our hat on CLG, who despite one early loss have looked like the team to beat in North America. Their slight stumble against TDK gave us pause on moving them to 1st, but honestly Dignitas hasn't looked as good in its losses, and TSM is suffering from inconsistency.


[[{"fid":"17059","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/ZionSpartan_hori.jpg%3Fitok%3DayPU_BGl","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

Of course, now we'll get to test our new North American heroes, with CLG taking on TSM in a match that always proves entertaining. It's about this time in the split where CLG throws against TSM, tilts off, and finishes just outside Worlds. It's now or never, CLG. Time to flip the switch and finally live up to the potential you've always had.

Panel: Cameron Gilbert, Taylor "Riot RoboTayCo" Cocke, Jason "Riot Jayway" Wai, Joshua "Riot Jatt" Leesman, and Frank "Riot Mirhi" Fields.

EUROPE

[[{"fid":"17060","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/full_width_scale/public/KaSing_vert.jpg%3Fitok%3DWhzJYTwc","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","style":"width: 350px; height: 369px; margin: 10px; float: right;"}}]]

  1. ( - ) Fnatic (8-0)
  2. (+1) H2K (7-1)
  3. (-1) Origen (6-2)
  4. (+1) Unicorns of Love (4-4)
  5. (+2) Gambit Gaming (3-5)
  6. (-2) Giants Gaming (4-4)
  7. (+2) Elements (2-6)
  8. (+2) SK Gaming (2-6)
  9. (-3) ROCCAT (2-6)
  10. (-2) Copenhagen Wolves (2-6)

In Europe we go from one marquee match to another, but there's other movement in the region that needs explaining first.

Throughout the beginning of the season, we saw new lineups struggle with their small roster changes while teams that had built-up synergy win. This week that finally changed. Gambit, Elements, and SK Gaming all had pretty good weeks, while Giants, ROCCAT, and CW all faltered. Whether this is a one-off occurance or an indication that change is coming remains to be seen.

[[{"fid":"17061","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/Diamondprox_hori.jpg%3Fitok%3DR1PtBv1g","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

At the top of the region, though, we have three titans -- H2K, Fnatic, and Origen. We've seen Origen's weakness in side-wave control and teamfighting manifest in the past few weeks, but they still remain a top team. For H2K and Fnatic, we still haven't found a weakness. Both teams look nigh unbeatable right now. Lucky for us we get to see them play each other this week. The winner of this match will truly have survived a gauntlet.

Panel: Taylor "Riot RoboTayCo" Cocke, Jason "Riot Jayway" Wai, and Frank "Riot Mirhi" Fields.

TAIWAN

[[{"fid":"17062","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/full_width_scale/public/Greentea_vert.jpg%3Fitok%3DkAbCfxgI","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","style":"width: 350px; height: 362px; margin: 10px; float: right;"}}]]

  1. ( - ) ahq e-Sports Club (7-0-0)
  2. ( - ) Flash Wolves (5-1-2)
  3. ( - ) Midnight Sun (2-2-4)
  4. (+1) Hong Kong Esports (1-1-5)
  5. (-1) Assassin Sniper (2-3-2)
  6. ( - ) Machi Esports (1-3-3)
  7. ( - ) Taipei Assassins (1-3-4)
  8. ( - ) Logitech Snipers (0-5-3)

Record format is (W-L-T)

I may sound like a broken record here, but ahq is fantastic. They had their hardest test of the season so far against TPA where by sheer force of will, Xing Lei "Chawy" Wong almost carried TPA to a victory in Game 1. In the end though, ahq's superior teamfighting had the last word. We're beginning to wonder if anyone in Taiwan will prove a match for the still undefeated ahq.

[[{"fid":"17066","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/Westdoor_hori.jpg%3Fitok%3DWic1yIxm","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

Hong Kong Esports made the biggest strides of any team this past week, with Stanley finally deciding that he could stop feeding the poor and hungry on the Rift. Their place in 4th isn't a certainty, but they are steadily improving to be one of the better teams in the region.

Panel: James "Obscurica" Chen and Chia "Reazony" Yu.

BRAZIL

  1. ( - ) Keyd Stars (5-0-0)
  2. (+1) INTZ e-Sports (4-1-0)
  3. (-1) paIN Gaming (3-0-2)
  4. ( - ) CNB e-Sports Club (1-3-1)
  5. ( - ) g3nerationX (2-0-3)
  6. (+2) INTZ e-Sports Red (0-2-3)
  7. (-1) KaBuM! Orange (1-4-0)
  8. (-1) KaBuM! Black (0-3-2)

Record format is (W-L-T)

[[{"fid":"17043","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/CBLoL_2nd_Split_Semana_3_1600x1080%2520%2528127%2529.JPG%3Fitok%3DL8-9dhno","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

Keyd Stars remain at the top of Brazil, still undefeated in their impressive 2015 CBLoL Winter run. This week it was support Caio "Loop" Almeida's turn in the Keyd spotlight, with a flashy five-man Bard ultimate, stopping KaBuM! Black's Last-Ditch Effort to get back in the game. 

Also noteworthy was Leonardo "Robo" Souza's return to the INTZ Red top lane, as the previously struggling team took a game off of paiN Gaming. Robo's Ekko impressed with timely teleports, 1v1 outplays, and precise teamfight targeting in his debut. With the loss, paiN Gaming slips into third in our rankings as INTZ e-Sports moves up to second.

Written by Emily Rand

Panel: Emily Rand

LATIN AMERICA

  1. ( - ) KLG (6-0)
  2. ( - ) Lyon Gaming (6-0)
  3. (+1) Gaming Gaming (4-2)
  4. (+1) Furious Gaming (4-2)
  5. (+2) Havoks Gaming (4-2)
  6. (-3) Last Kings (3-3)
  7. (-1) Dash9 Gaming (2-4)
  8. ( - ) Rebirth eSports (2-4)

[[{"fid":"17044","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/Rebirth%2520esports.jpg%3Fitok%3DID2XNNqH","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

After a critical week facing off against their southern rivals, KLG has once again defeated Furious Gaming in a heroic effort. Both teams fought tooth and nail but just when things were going in favor of Furious, KLG closed the game with a sneaky backdoor to remain undefeated.

Last Kings have plummeted in the charts after a series of their own technical difficulties made them no-show to their game against Bencheados.

Things have turned around in the north as newcomers Havoks Gaming have almost secured second place in their region after some very impressive performances. Meanwhile MYM, who was 0-6, managed to find their first victory by beating second-place Gaming Gaming in dominant fashion, this victory comes after MYM finally settled in their gaming house and met their new coach.

With only 2 weeks left in the regular season, things are still up in the air for the playoffs. And with Havoks and MYM on the rise in the north, nobody knows who will face who at the finals in Mexico City on August 8.

Written by Erick “Skyshock” Gonzalez

Panel: Erick "Skyshock" Gonzalez

JAPAN

  1. (+1) Ozone Rampage (5-1)
  2. (+1) DetonatioN FocusMe (4-2)
  3. (-2) 7th Heaven (4-2)
  4. ( - ) RabbitFive (3-3)
  5. ( - ) Rascal Jester (2-4)
  6. ( - ) ApeX R Gaming (0-6)

[[{"fid":"17045","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/yutapon%2520kaimakusen.jpg%3Fitok%3DAQX6loW4","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

Though it kicked off with the biggest fail-gank of the season, last week's marquee matchup between DFM and 7H rose far beyond its opening misfire to become the most entertaining match yet. Kyohei “Ceros” Yoshida pulled out a pocket Karma and made full use of her supportive kit, helping to outmaneuver the opposing team while protecting his own  through the highlight-reel teamfights coming out of both sides. Ultimately, DFM came out on top, which left the Power Ranking in a bit of an awkward spot.

[[{"fid":"17067","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default"},"tagName":"VIDEO","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/node/4655/edit","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

Rampage hasn't looked particularly dominant in any of their wins: they tend to be extremely close, bitterly earned victories that easily could've gone the other way. Meanwhile, FocusMe sometimes looks completely untouchable and other times seems unsure of how to move on the map. And now 7H is 0-2 against FocusMe.

Ultimately, we have to give Rampage credit where credit's due. They've earned their chance to be 1st, but they know better than anyone how hard they'll have to work to keep it going. There are only three weeks left of regular season play, and this is still anyone's game.

Written by Cameron Gilbert

Panel: Cameron Gilbert

TURKEY

  1. ( - ) Team Turquality (4-4)
  2. ( - ) Beşiktaş (7-1)
  3. ( - ) Oyun Hizmetleri (5-3)
  4. ( - ) Dark Passage (4-4)
  5. ( - ) HWA.Gamesatış (4-4)
  6. ( - ) Atlas (3-5)
  7. ( - ) CREW (2-6)
  8. ( - ) NumberOne eSports Club (3-5)

[[{"fid":"16702","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/TTwin.png%3Fitok%3DKaL5-HtQ","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

Turkey is on hiatus for one more week. The Turkish Championship League will return on June 27 with Week 5 matches. Don’t forget to catch up on everything about TCL via lolespor.com.

Written by Kursad Demirer

Panel: Kursad Demirer, Christopher Willekens

CIS

  1. ( - ) Tornado RoX (7-2)
  2. ( - ) Hard Random (6-3)
  3. ( - ) Just.MSI (5-3)
  4. (+1) Dolphins (5-4)
  5. (-1) Carpe Diem (6-4)
  6. ( - ) Solar Wind (3-5)
  7. ( - ) Your Exit (2-6)
  8. ( - ) Dragon (1-8)

[[{"fid":"17046","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/Dolphins_Article%2520Image.jpg%3Fitok%3DdY8lHG1v","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

StarSeries Summer really looks like a swing -- every team waivers back and forth. None of the Top 3 teams managed to end this week without losses. As a matter of fact, no one did.

In their key match of the week, Hard Random defeated JustMSI but then lost to Dolphins for the second time this season. Solar Wind suddenly upset Tornado.ROX while Your Exit continued their flashy cheesy tactics, once even successfully pulling out a Shaco.

The gap is closing between the top teams and the field, but at the same time, no one has emerged as a true No. 1 team.

Written by Michael "Olsior" Zverev

Panel: Michael "Olsior" Zverev

OCEANIA

  1. ( - ) Chiefs eSports Club (9-0)
  2. (+1) Legacy eSports (6-3)
  3. (+1) Avant Garde (5-4)
  4. (-2) Dire Wolves (6-3)
  5. ( - ) Sin Gaming (5-4)
  6. (+1) Absolute (2-7)
  7. (-1) Team Immunity (3-6)
  8. ( - ) Sudden Fear (0-9)

[[{"fid":"17047","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/chelby.jpg%3Fitok%3DEJlRyqYn","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

As we get closer to playoffs, it's starting to become clear which Oceanic teams are playoffs contenders and which teams will have to wait for next year. While Chiefs continue their undefeated rampage over the region, Legacy and Avant seem to working out their issues, while Dire Wolves will need to head back to the drawing board with the departure of ace support Trevor "ChuffeR" Lao.

The second half of the season has delivered us continued (if slow) improvement from rookie teams Sin, Absolute, and Sudden Fear. If nothing else, this hints at a potentially more competitive 2016 in Oceania -- but for now, their improving performance will be a test for the higher-ranked veteran teams as they approach playoffs.

There's still quite a ways to go until the end of the regular season, but for now, it seems like the top three teams in our Power Rankings are a lock for playoffs, as long as they maintain their current form. Watch out especially for Avant and their young AD carry Kieran "Warble" Brown -- if this man gets his hands on a hypercarry, Avant could definitely indulge in some giant killing.

Written by Alex Manisier

Panel: Alex Manisier, Ben "RiotBenji" de Ridder, Jake "Riot Spawn" Tiberi, Max "Riot Atlus" Anderson and Zack "Rusty" Pye

INTERNATIONAL

[[{"fid":"17063","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/full_width_scale/public/Rekkles_vert.jpg%3Fitok%3D3lQBnWIG","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-full","style":"width: 300px; height: 449px; margin: 10px; float: right;"}}]]

  1. ( - ) SKTelecom T1 (7-0)
  2. ( - ) Edward Gaming (5-2-3)
  3. (+6) KOO Tigers (5-3)
  4. (+1) Qiao Gu (4-0-5)
  5. (+11) Najin e-mFire (5-2)
  6. (+2) Fnatic (8-0)
  7. ( - ) ahq e-Sports Club (6-0-0)
  8. (+6) Jin Air Green Wings (5-2)
  9. (-3) Snake (3-2-5)
  10. (+3) H2K (7-1)
  11. (-8) CJ Entus (4-3)
  12. (-8) Invictus Gaming (4-2-3)
  13. (-2) Origen (6-2)
  14. (-4) KT Rolster (5-2)
  15. (-3) OMG (3-1-6)
  16. (NEW) Counter Logic Gaming (7-1)
  17. ( - ) Flash Wolves (3-1-2)
  18. (+2) Vici Gaming (2-1-7)
  19. (-4) LGD (2-3-5)
  20. (NEW) Masters 3 (3-2-5)

What the hell happened!? Najin +11? CJ and IG -8? KOO +6? 

Yes, this and more. I stated it in the Korean section, but I'll reiterate it here. KOO Tigers are for real and are in their Spring Split peak form again. The team has been improving their mechanics and practicing with new vigor lately and it shows in their game results. As far as Jin Air and Najin, both Ohq and Pilot are becoming true stars of Korea. CJ has lost three straight games and IG has been extremely shaky, which is why they've fallen so dramaticaly, which brings us to the Western teams...

[[{"fid":"17065","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/Najin_hori_0.jpg%3Fitok%3D52jzbtz9","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","style":"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;","width":"700"}}]]

Fnatic has potential to be a Top 4 team internationally, and some members of the panel think they are a serious threat to go even higher. While their play is not perfect in the Samsung White sense of the word, it is as close as we've ever seen from a Western team, and among the best we've seen from anyone other than SKT or EDG in 2015. Not only that, but they haven't yet hit their ceiling. H2K looks similarly impressive, to a lesser extent, and also has a lot of room to grow. KaSing and Huni are likely the leading candidates for MVP in Europe right now, and you only need to watch their games to see why.

[[{"fid":"17064","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//admin.prod.lolesports.com/s3/files/styles/article_image/public/EDG_hori.jpg%3Fitok%3DcDRZGZI3","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]

Just as we said above, China and Korea are shifting, but Korea's 2nd through 6th Place are all in the same general area, which is reflected in the array of Korean teams in the Top 20. But as Masters 3 and Counter Logic Gaming can attest to, there is room for new challengers.

Let us know your thoughts on the Power Rankings on Twitter or in the comments below.

Images courtesy of Inven, Garena, SANKO, and paiN Gaming

Frank Fields is a Senior Editor for Riot Games' Esports Web Content team. You'll find him joining the Glorious Evolution in Diamond or on Twitter where he'd love to talk to you about esports.

RELATED ARTICLES

138 Comments

I SUPA I26 votes

Finally I get to see FNATIC rank 6....like I said the past 2 weeks...this team is clearly worlds material

SAFFATLOL2 votes

Nobody denied they were a team that can compete at worlds, but they were playing new comps that they looked shaky on so I think 8th at the time was fair.

warpedmind4 votes

that olaf picks goes from questionable to banworthy. lets see if reignover will reign supreme.

sitemoth3 votes

Honestly I think it's still questionable, although they won both games with it. The early game was a bit shaky in both games and I'd say that was due to Reignover having too little impact on the game 'cause of his Olaf pick. I guess it is good that Deilor (and the players theselves) makes them play some different styles/ champs, but for the important games FNC should stick with meta picks that worked for them better

Cheryl Cole5 votes

Olaf sivir lulu comp was sick...not questionable. No way for CW to deal with olaf. Sadly game was so onesided otherwise we would see geniality of this pick in even TFs.

pyroHedge3 votes

I find the placement for Fnatic to be really interesting, and reasonable. At 6th they're behind three Korean squads and two Chinese teams. That says that if we held worlds today (since only the top three teams from any region make it) Fnatic would still lose to the Korean or Chinese squads, but beat everyone else. Outside of AHQ, I think that's completely fair. 5-7 seems like a really safe, and honest, spot for Fnatic to be in. I'm kind of hoping for H2K to win against them too, because the only way either of them will break into legitimate World's contention is to have strong enough opponents back at home. Fun times.

Dan Braum7 votes

It's so good to see that people from NA also recognize and admire Fnatic's current power level, and also cheer on them, and consider them as a possible western challenger against the korean and chinese powerhouses! If they can keep up their good performance until Worlds, we would finally have a real chance against the eastern teams. Go Fnatic! Go West!

The Lexer7 votes

Yeah enough of this NA vs EU crap, time to root for the "west" to beat the "east"

Rhynear17 votes

Isn't that how the Cold War started?

AFK Sam5 votes

When NA has slightly advantage over EU, they say EU = crap. When EU is so much better than NA, they say we are the "west".

Sure, I am not laughing...

We are proud of Fnatic, but Fnatic has nothing to do with NA.

The Lexer2 votes

True, but the point I'm making is NA vs EU doesn't really matter at all once worlds comes around, because somebody needs to beat KR and CH (and Brazil). i would've been thrilled to have FNC win MSI, even if they did destroy TSM. I just think its stupid that we are comparing the two regions that are relatively bad while completely ignoring the "top tier" competition

montefisto3 votes

Are you going to make shitty comments like this anytime you see an NA fan cheer for an EU team?

La Cazadora3 votes

They're far and away one of the most dominant teams this split, from any region.

InvinciblePie20 votes

I like how at least one NA team has to be added every week to make fans feel better. I am an NA fan and a CLG fan, but I do not think they deserve to be in the top 20 internationally. I think it will take a lot of work for NA teams to be worlds contenders.

I SUPA I3 votes

I agree lol CLG very sloppy lol

Raise The Gnar10 votes

IF we can 2-0 this week then i do think we've earned our spot on this list. TSM and TL will be probably the toughest week by far. But I think we will win.

NA Danny4 votes

2-0 week incoming. CLG, CLG, CLG!

Keektwo4 votes

2-0 for TSM vs CLG on the split again you mean? :P

pyroHedge3 votes

While I felt like that was the case with Team Liquid last week, I think CLG legitimately deserves a spot. We seem to all be hung up on recent TSM struggles and shortcomings with each team, but lower Chinese and Korean teams also have shortcomings, inconsistencies, and bad play. I'm not saying CLG should be highly ranked, but they'd still be able to beat the lower tier teams from other regions, including China and Korea.

Landrein1 votes

Everyone says that about NA teams during every split, and while they have never done particularly great internationally, they usually perform on par with Europe and perform at least one surprise or upset. The mid-season disaster with TSM aside. I don't suspect this season will be any different.

For one, I haven't seen any reason yet to think the the NA team are any worse compared to the Flash Wolves then they were 6 months ago. Also, I'm not sure they are on the mark with the NA teams internally and expect those rankings to change. I agree that Liquid probably deserves its place at fourth, but I think Dig and Clg are closer then they make out to be, and I think TSM is stronger than Clg.

In conclusion, while i don't expect the NA teams to challenge China/Korea, and I accept that Fanatic looks stronger then any of the NA teams, I believe that the panel hear is doesn't have a good grasp of the NA server and will probably change its rankings considerably in the upcoming weeks.

H4lftooth4 votes

well from what i ve seen so far from Na teams, either TSM, CLG or DIG, i not only see them behind Fnatic, also behind H2K and Origens Peformance, they are all looking to shaky in their games, just take the CLG vs TDK or the TSM vs TL matches, and then explain to me what on earth makes u think they are at all abled to face against the likes of H2K or Origen, who both, except their games against Fnatic, look to be near flawless by individual strength and in the macrogame.Yeah for sure all those NA Teams can keep up in individual strength, but their shotcolling is kinda questionable. I mean we all say that TL had a very bad showing last week, not at all understanding how to play around their comp with Jayce in the game against TSM, and yet they again were only abled to get out victorious with Bjergerking showing up big, but he can do so cause there is no other world class midlaner to challenge him once. If you take out Bjergsen, and the past of international games proof that, there is no other to step up and solo carry them. Sure in NA he is free to carry, but place him against other Top Tier Midlaner, which is gonna go at least even, and then the weakness of this teams comes to count with neither Santorin, Turtle or Dyrus even beeing top tier in NA. In CLG s case, just take a look at all the LCS Splits, they were always getting hyped and performing very well, and then in playoffs they NEVER were abled to perform at least a bit, even though they had so many different players, they were all failing, so why should something of that change now, and i have to remember, they just had a close victory, not looking dominant at all, against TDK, playing with 3 Subs and beeing 0/8. For me, Dignitas has the best chances of those just named Teams, especially if Gamsu keeps performing THAT well... next weeks are gonna show.

I SUPA I2 votes

Umm...noo...NA as a whole has just really sloppy and bad games overall...

I SUPA I12 votes

As for NA... I honestly think gravity looks better than TSM as a team AS OF NOW. better at rotating, spectacular shocalling and they can only get better as a team.

zRelentless8 votes

I also agree that Gravity should be in the higher NA Power Rankings. Even though they lost to TSM, they put up a good fight against them. I am a little biased with Team Dignitas at #2 while they have easier weeks soon and harder weeks at the end of the regular split. Most of Dignitas' wins were sort of lucky IMO.

I SUPA I13 votes

gravity threw...just as how TL threw cs TSM...just as how TSM threw to DIG.......NA is full of throws and sloppy mistakes lol

Wulfy9 votes

And for once, it isn't CLG doing it. YAY!

sitemoth13 votes

it's not playoff time right now, so CLG is still doing good :P

H4lftooth3 votes

am i the only one feeling like all NA Top teams (DIG,TSM,CLG and TL) sadly are atm kinda playing like Unicorns of Love or some other middle of the pack team from europe. I mean they all are showing the potential to do by far better, but then they are doing some just unbelievablde bad shit in mid and lategame. Like for example take the TL vs TSM Match, even though TL played their comp very badly overall with nearly never using their jayce to get out some poke, and still TSM was close to losing it until that awful throw fight in the jungle by TL with a rumble ult that hurt me in my heart so badly and again just bjergsen single handedly saving TSM s ***. Im just feeling like NA team currently arent taking it as serious and focussed as they would have to perform on a top level.

Cantrips2 votes

I can respect an EU community member such as yourself pointing out NA's flaws and errors like this - I wish that everyone in our regions were so constructive and respectful! I'd say all top three teams in EU right now (Fnatic, H2K, and Origen) are outperforming my region in style... which saddens me, but at the same time is exciting, because it means that there's going to be more talent for our teams to scrim and play against in the International scene! I am a die-hard Cloud 9 fan, even though they're lousy right now, and I hope to see them improve through continued competition against top-tier play, which they can only get if the top teams in my region learn some things from their EU counterparts. (Unfortunately, it seems that they'll get crushed by the Eastern regions so badly at this point that I doubt they would be able to improve much from it.)

TLDR: I <3 C9 and want them to be a top team again (RIP Hai) - the only way to get to that point is to have better quality in my region, which consequently requires EU to continue putting on fantastic performances. Also thanks for being a rad EU Community Member.

Braum

Sycksh1t9 votes

Rankings are so goofy every week.

"Fnatic has potential to be a Top 4 team internationally, and some members of the panel think they are a serious threat to go even higher."

I do agree with this statement though...too bad you don't listen to those members.

I think Fnatic is top 3 with no clear 1-2 between them edg and skt...pretty sure they could shiz on koo tigers.

I said it before and I will say it again...they are the best team to come out of a western region so far.

Finally realizing Origen just isn't on that level? No other western teams are so don't feel bad.

I SUPA I4 votes

I jsut like the fact that a new NA team has to come in every week..so NA fans won't feel bad...as a player of NA....NA is fucking weak as hell

Sycksh1t4 votes

Yep there are no standout teams in NA at this time...We don't have much of a shot at worlds this year it looks like. Spring split started out so promising but summer has been so sloppy...I don't feel like any NA team at this time has much of a shot at worlds. Mainly because teams like CLG who are 1 atm always fail when it comes down to the biggest games. Not very reliable....O well im rooting for Fnatic...just want the west to take worlds.

Vexxed8 votes

FNC top 3? Please, they only have 2 teams worth of competition and that's OR and H2K. That aside since they do the EU playstyle of get ahead stay ahead you never see them from behind because every team in EU plays like crap from behind. You say top 3, what a joke, they're a good team, but I doubt they'd be able to beat Najin who is right above them. Najin plays the same game of get ahead stay ahead, only difference is Ohq would smack Rekkles in lane and if you think Huni would dominate Duke like he does the EU top laners you have a sad reality check coming to you.

Jwitts76 votes

You clearly know jack shit. Huni could easily handle himself against Duke. At MSI Huni performed amazingly against the other international competition. Additionally, if you actually watched Fnatic's games you would have known that they got behind early in two of them and still just stomped all over the enemy team. Check your shit.

Vexxed3 votes

Fanatic went out of the way to help huni and give him favorable matchups in MSI, there's a reason Duke got so many MVP points last season for Najin when they did bad he carried them to wins, Huni isn't going to stomp him just like Huni didn't stomp Koro, or Ziv, or any other top laner outside Dyrus. One of the games they were behind on was vs SK a team that has no good players right now, so they essentially just strong armed their way in, are you going to tell me they'll just outplay Najin? If so take off the fanboy goggles and open your eyes to reality.

Cheryl Cole9 votes

Huni is not that great becouse dominating other laners... He is so great, becouse he knows exactly when to put pressure elsewhere on the map, or time the perfect TP to change how is TF going for them. And this is not something he would need help with. And he outperformed Marin in this way like a boss.

Kendorra3 votes

I agree with SBoob, Huni doesn't play to win his lane, he plays to make his team win. It happens that Huni is behind in lane, but then he brings pressure somewhere else on the map or help secure an objective. That's how you win games, objective control, lane dominance can help you with that but it's not necessary.

Cheryl Cole9 votes

Every single time when PR appears you show up and start to trash talk EU no matter what position we have. What about to chill out and stop act like cocky biased troll and simply accept the fact we might have a chance this time? Maybe only sad reality is the one which didn't came to you yet...

Vexxed5 votes

I said EU shouldn't be top 4, and saying OR was overhyped last time turned out to be right since when they had to play someone who was good they got wrecked OR has lost to Roccat and FNC and got stomped both times and guess what they're still top 15 what fucking joke. That's not talking shit to EU that's being realistic. Snake does fine in a better region and drops 3 places. Break that down, or am I just overhyping China, there's a clear bias to EU. FNC has played OR now and that's it, haven't played H2K yet but people are saying they're a top 4 team at worlds. So beating CW, El, and other shitty EU team( but wait I'm sure according to you those are probably great teams and I'm just shittalking EU again) makes them a top 4 team since they now beat OR too. Remember when C9 had those 3 dominating splits were you clamoring to put them top 4? No wonder why, oh yeah cause overall their region was weaker than China and Korea so those scenes should have had teams above them, a fair amount of teams above them, When TSM won IEM were they top 4? Nope, and they looked great in their region too.

Yeah though EU's great top quality team, definitely top 4 in worlds on the grounds of beating the only other EU team on the top 20 list that they've played so far. I'm sure Rekkles is a top 3 adc too along with every other player on FNC.

And Marin shit on him in Game 5 of their series, aka the game that mattered.

Sycksh1t10 votes

Not all of us need to see every top team in the world face eachother to know who is really skilled and who is not. Fnatic is a force to be reckoned with and not just in EU, in the world. They are not just some western team on a hot streak like tsm in the spring..They are a monster of a team and are worlds contenders for sure. You will see soon enough at worlds. Im not saying there the best but I have faith they will bring it and put on a show. Yes I stick by they are top three for sure. We will see.

pyroHedge9 votes

I had to laugh at how the Chinese and Korean teams are ranked internationally:

1 Korea, 2 China 3 Korea, 4 China 5 Korea 8 Korea, 9 China 11 Korea, 12 China 14 Korea, 15 China

I'm getting a "China's a little bit worse" vibe here.

Dem0n Slaya3 votes

just more proof that riot takes into consideration their racism and their job to appease westerners since they hate china(riot too)

korean dog4 votes

Well Riot is owned by a Chinese company so if they do hate they are hating their masters.

Ericcc7 votes

I think Fnatic has proven to be a world class team, but they haven't shown the consistency vs top tier teams. When they are on point, they contest with SKT, but we can not forget their bad loss to AHQ, who were easily handled by EDG. When they lost at MSI they lost hard. As for the top 4, I think EDG definitely deserves to be #1, and QG should rank higher than KOO. In addition, I'd like to see OMG higher after splitting with EDG and beating iG 2-0. In addition, I think that some of the Korean teams are extremely overrated. How can you say that the top teams are close when SKT is 7-0 without a challenge. EDG beat SKT and has been challenged well by the other Chinese teams, which deserve to be higher.

I SUPA I9 votes

QG should be rank no.3 koo should be a bit lower....I think FNC can definitely beat Najin and Koo.

  1. SKT
  2. EDG
  3. QG
  4. FNC
  5. Koo
Andy9745806 votes

SKT is in form atm so them being 7-0 in their region is like FNATIC being 8-0 in EU. They did drop a couple of games in a couple of sets but won the series convincingly. EDG for the past 2 weeks are not looking good at all. Koro form has dropped since MSI and Pawn hasn't been playing with the team, so you can say atm, SKT is the better team this split for now perfomance wise.

I SUPA I5 votes

Also...You are also pointing out the Fnatic with Steelback...they have Rekkles now...immediate upgrade. If they as a team can contest SKT with Steelback..imagine with Rekkles

ShacoDePatatas5 votes

I don't understand why the third team in Korea is always above Fnatic and AHQ.

Najin was 16(international) last week, Fnatic was 8(international). Fnatic won against Origen and CW without problem. Najin won agains CJ Entus... Now Najin is (5) and it's better than Fnatic (6).

The analysts don't approve comments like KR>CH>EU>TW>NA but they really think like that, instead of team performance.

The Great Shmoop6 votes

Can we vote to have Vexxed banned from comments? He's only spreading negativity.

TrollFan015 votes

Half-way point had just about been reached in the 2 LCS regions. Can't wait for Fnatic/H2K and TSM/CLG

More from Esports