League of Legends global power rankings through July 7
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Taiwan took a break this weekend while South Korea, North America, Europe and China marched on. As such, some teams moved up or down based on the shuffling around them without having played. The Demacia Cup filled in for the League of Legends Pro League in China, and the rankings have been updated to reflect that.
The +/- indicates the change since the previous ranking.
Nos. 1-10 -- World contenders
Nos. 11-20 -- Playoff contenders
Nos. 21-30 -- Middle of the pack
Nos. 31-40 -- Struggling
Nos. 41-50 -- Bottom of the barrel
World contenders
1. SK Telecom T1
Record: 7-3 (16-6) | League: LCK | +/-: +5
We're sorry we doubted you, the one true king. After faltering last week to Ever, we knocked down the defending champions of the Summoner's Cup, Intel Extreme Masters, Mid-Season Invitational, and League Champions Korea in our ranking and moved up its main rival ROX Tigers to take the number one spot. A few days later and SKT is back on top with a convincing 2-0 victory over the displaced Tigers. EDG and TSM are nipping at its heels but for at least one more week, the three-peating Summoner's Cup champion will remain at the number one spot.
2. EDward Gaming
Record: 8-0 (16-4) | League: LPL | +/-: +1
While the traditional League Pro League did not occur this week, the end of the group stage and the quarterfinals of the Demacia Cup took place. As expected, EDward Gaming dominated its group against Star Horn Royal Club, LGD Gaming, and Invictus Gaming, then swept Game Talents in the quarterfinals. Its next match is against Royal Never Give Up, where it'll need to once again prove it's the best in China.
3. Team SoloMid
Record: 10-0 (20-3) | League: NA LCS | +/-: no change
Sorry, TSM fans -- no top two spot this week. At 10-0, TSM is the best western team currently going. But the three-time North American League Championship Series champions will need a bit more (and a dropoff from the top Chinese and Korean teams) if it wants to make it to the top spot. As long as Biofrost keeps being immortal and Doublelift and Bjergsen alley-oop dunk on everyone in the league, the number one spot isn't completely out of the question.
4. ROX Tigers
Record: 7-3 (14-9) | League: LCK | +/-: -3
This was the Tigers' chance to establish itself as the top of the heap in the world. T1 was slipping up, the rest of Korea looked beatable, and a victory versus its nemesis SKT would solidify the Tigers as our top team in the Global Power Rankings. Yet, once again, it was Faker and friends that got the last laugh, as the defending champions knocked the Tigers off the number one perch. Still an elite club, the Tigers will need to find some way to thwart T1 if it wants any hope of getting revenge and winning its first major championship.
5. Royal Never Give Up
Record: 7-1 (15-4) | League: LPL | +/-: +1
In group D of the Demacia Cup, Royal Never Give Up tied with I May for first after going 1-1 and taking a 2-0 victory over OMG and T.Bear Gaming. Royal is still the second best in China, but it's vulnerable.
6. Flash Wolves
Record: 5-0-0 | League: LMS | +/-: +1
Did not compete this week.
7. Immortals
Record: 9-1 (19-5) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +1
Another quiet but successful week for the Immortals. We'll see how strong the Green Machine truly is when it goes up against Team Liquid in this weekend's North American League Championship Series 'Match of the Week.' Pobelter's rise into the upper echelon of mid laners this split has made Immortals an even deadlier version of itself.
8. KT Rolster
Record: 7-3 (16-9) | League: LCK | +/-: -4
The wind was let out of KT's sails this week with an opening week loss to the streaky Afreeca Freecs. Still hanging onto a top 10 seat in our rankings, that spot will be put to the test at the end of the week when Rolster faces off against eternal rival SKT T1.
9. G2 Esports
Record: 5-5-0 | League: EU LCS | +/-: -1
G2 Esports' consistency issues have become extremely apparent lately. It beat Fnatic, which should mean it reigns as the top team in Europe. However, it tied with Origen, which makes that title questionable.
10. Fnatic
Record: 5-2-3 | League: EU LCS | +/-: -1
Fnatic fall back down as the second best team in Europe after losing to G2 Esports and Giants Gaming. The G2 loss shouldn't be all that much of a surprise, but the loss against Giants is. If Fnatic loses again to a team of a significantly lesser skill cap, then it has something to worry about.
Playoff contenders
11. Samsung Galaxy
Record: 7-3 (14-8) | League: LCK | +/-: +2
Are we finally getting to a stage where we can call Samsung a contender for making Worlds, and by extension, a legitimate candidate to win it all? After struggling, the team has established itself as a playoff team and could go to 8-3 with a win versus the faltering Dragons of Longzhu in the next matchup.
12. Ahq e-Sports Club
Record: 3-0-1 | League: LMS | +/-: +1
Did not compete this week.
13. MVP
Record: 5-5 (12-10) | League: LCK | +/-: +7
Could MVP be the wildcard that shakes up the SKT T1-Tigers-KT Rolster trinity that has ruled over South Korea the past two years? MVP's play has risen each week it's played, and ADD and Beyond, the team's starting top lane and jungler, are making a case to be called stars in their respective roles.
14. Afreeca Freecs
Record: 4-5 (10-12) | League: LCK | +/-: +5
One moment, the Freecs are great. Clean, authoritative, and crisp in its play. The next, it's like I'm watching NA LCS from 2013. The Freecs might be trailing a bit behind the rookies MVP, but the Jin Air Green Wings' freefall puts it in a solid spot to make the playoffs as the fifth seed.
15. Team Liquid
Record: 6-4 (13-10) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +8
The rookie-fueled squad from Liquid is working, and the former 0-3 side is now in a tie for third place after the first half of the split. The current meta fits the inclusion rookie Jovani "fabbbyyy" Guillen into the starting five, and Joshua "Dardoch" Hartnett has been unstoppable since being reinstated from his early suspension. A win versus Immortals this week would be the statement TL needs to throw its name into the hat of legitimate title contenders for the summer crown.
16. Cloud9
Record: 6-2 (14-7) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -3
A week of halted progress for the squad coached by Reapered. C9 are still in a tie for third place alongside rising TL and sliding Envy so it isn't a time to panic for the organization that has been to four NA LCS finals in the past. A win over TSM this week to end its rival's flawless streak would be the perfect remedy for faltering in week five.
17. I May
Record: 5-3 (12-6) | League: LPL | +/-: +17
I May had a good week, tieing with Royal Never Give Up in the group stage of the Demacia Cup, then sweeping Legend Dragon in the quarterfinals. In its current form, the team should beat Snake in the upcoming semifinals and make it to the final against either EDward Gaming or Royal Never Give Up.
18. Game Talents
Record: 5-3 (10-8) | League: LPL| +/-: +3
Coming into Group C of the Demacia Cup, Game Talents should've been the clear-cut favorite. However, after the dust settled, it was in second place to Legend Dragon, a team that isn't even competing in the LPL.
19. J Team
Record: 3-1-0 | League: LMS | +/-: +2
Did not compete this week.
20. Team WE
Record: 5-3 (13-9) | League: LPL | +/-: no change
Team WE tied with Snake in Group A of the Demacia Cup and tied with LSPL team Young Miracles. Team WE then took a loss at the hands of Royal Never Give Up in the quarterfinals, which shows it's still an upper-middle of the pack team alongside Snake.
Middle of the pack
21. Snake Esports
Record: 5-3 (11-7) | League: LPL | +/-: +3
Snake tied with Team WE to top its group in the Demacia Cup before decimating Star Horn Royal Club in the quarterfinals. That's improvement for Snake, and shows that it can contest Team WE for the fourth best team in China below EDward Gaming, Royal Never Give Up, and I May.
22. Team EnVyUs
Record: 6-4 (12-12) | League: NA LCS | +/-: no change
We're at a crossroads for the rookies from Envy. Either we'll see the players rally and keep its spot in the top four, or we'll see the inexperienced side start to creep down the standings, meaning it'll have to fight for the final playoff spot.
23. Jin Air Green Wings
Record: 5-5 (11-12) | League: LCK | +/-: -7
The fall of the Jin Air Green Wings is in full effect. It happens every season, and it's happened once again. The defensive, grit-and-grind club repeatedly get ahead early in the season with its iron fortress style of play, and then the wings are clipped off in the mid-season. It will either barely make the playoffs or miss them entirely.
24. Hong Kong Esports
Record: 2-0-2 | League: LMS | +/-: +1
Did not compete this week.
25. FC Schalke 04
Record: 3-5-2 | League: EU LCS | +/-: no change
Like H2K, Schalke 04 had two ties this week -- one with Unicorns of Love and the other with Vitality -- which means it still looks like a middle of the pack team.
26. Splyce Gaming
Record: 3-5-2 | League: EU LCS | +/-: -4
Splyce's week ended with a tie with Unicorns of Love and a victory over Vitality. It looks stronger than many anticipated this split and could be a contender for the third place title if it makes the playoffs.
27. H2K Gaming
Record: 3-6-1 | League: EU LCS | +/-: -16
H2K is consistent -- consistent with ties, at least, against ROCCAT and Origen. Europe is currently struggling to produce strength and H2K is a part of that, as it looks the worst it has since it entered the league.
28. Vici Gaming
Record: 4-4 (8-10) | League: LPL | +/-: -2
Akin to Game Talents, Vici Gaming had a messy week. It took third in its group, behind Legend Dragon and Game Talents and failed to make it to the playoffs. Vici is nothing special in China but it's a middle of the pack team.
29. ESC EVER
Record: 3-7 (8-15) | League: LCK | +/-: -5
ESC are competitive and fun to watch in a majority of its matches; however, if you're betting on a rookie LCK team to make the playoffs this season, those odds have swung completely to the side of MVP.
30. Counter Logic Gaming
Record: 4-6 (11-13) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +2
The defending back-to-back champions were swept under the rug by TSM last weekend, but it did keep afloat in the playoff picture with an equally-as-clean win over NRG Esports. As long as the Mid-Season Invitational finalists can keep itself in one of the six playoff spots, CLG will be a team no team wants to draw in the first round of the best-of-five format.
Struggling
31. Machi 17
Record: 2-1-2 | League: LMS | +/-: -2
Did not compete this week.
32. Vitality
Record: 1-6-3 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +7
Losing to Splyce and tieing with Schalke makes Vitality fall in the rankings. It currently looks worse than Origen and Unicorns of Love, and it's unclear if bringing back jungler Ilyas "Shook" Hartsema will change that.
33. Newbee
Record: 3-5 (8-12) | League: LPL | +/-: no change
Its record in the Demacia Cup is disappointing, but tieing with Young Miracles and losing to Team WE and Snake isn't all that surprising for Newbee, a team that has had troubles the entire season.
34. Origen
Record: 1-6-3 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +7
If you told us that Origen would be improving with Enrique "xPeke" Cedeño Martínez at AD carry weeks ago, we wouldn't have believed you. But that's what's happening and by adding new coach Alvar "Araneae" Martin Aleñar, Origen is making a case for itself to be a serious contender for a playoff spot.
35. Apex Gaming
Record: 4-4 (11-14) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -5
Apex are where many expected it to be in the preseason: hanging around the sixth playoff spot and a hair away from relegation if things go poorly. Until the team can find consistency out of anyone not named Keane -- star player Ray goes from hero to zero depending on the day -- Apex is going to be in a fight to stay out of the relegation zone.
36. LGD Gaming
Record: 3-5 (7-11) | League: LPL | +/-: no change
LGD Gaming remains in the same spot after its Demacia Cup run came to an end with a third place finish in its group behind EDward Gaming and Star Horn Royal Club.
37. NRG Esports
Record: 3-7 (9-15) | League: NA LCS | +/-: no change
NRG has been terrible to start the split, but the hybrid-language club is only one game out of a playoff spot in the NA LCS. GBM and Ohq have been huge disappointments this split. Even with its stars not playing well, NRG are only one game out of the playoffs.
38. CJ Entus
Record: 2-8 (7-17) | League: LCK | +/-: +5
CJ Entus are by no means the best team in Korea, but with the rapid decline of Longzhu and a shocking victory over the wingless Jin Air, it also isn't our worst team from South Korea. Congratulations to Sky and his Taliyah -- not BDD -- for dragging CJ to this prestigious moment.
39. Longzhu Gaming
Record: 2-8 (6-16) | League: LCK | +/-: -4
I could write a novel about how disenchanting this split -- no, this entire year -- has been for Longzhu Gaming, but the team's play over the past six months has shown more than anything I could ever write.
40. Team ROCCAT
Record: 1-5-4 | League: EU LCS | +/-: -4
ROCCAT is still a decent team, but its record doesn't show that. Its five ties are with teams that should be significantly better than it, which means it's a contender.
Bottom of the barrel
41. Invictus Gaming
Record: 2-6 (8-13) | League: LPL | +/-: -4
Invictus had a terrible week in the Demacia Cup, falling short to EDward Gaming and LGD Gaming, and tieing with Star Horn Royal Club.
42. Midnight Sun Esports
Record: 2-0-2 | League: LMS | +/-: no change
Did not compete this week.
43. Giants Gaming
Record: 4-1-5 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +6
Like Origen, Giants showed improvement this week, taking down Fnatic and ROCCAT. The latter is no surprise but a win over Fnatic is good news for Giants Gaming.
44. Unicorns of Love
Record: 2-3-5 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +4
Ties with Splyce and Schalke 04 show that the Unicorns of Love want to get back into playoff contention. As it sits seventh in the standings, qualifying for playoffs is no longer out of the question for this team. Now it's about being consistent in coming games.
45. Phoenix1
Record: 1-8 (5-19) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +2
Phoenix1 won! In the feelgood match of the summer, the winless Phoenix1 got its first match win of the split by taking down Apex Gaming in a closely contested match. We now live in a world where P1 isn't our lowest ranked North American team on the Global Power Ranking. What a time to be alive.
46. OMG
Record: 1-7 (4-15) | League: LPL | +/-: -2
Like Invictus, OMG had a bad week in the Demacia Cup. It lost to I May and Royal Never Give Up but tied with LSPL team T.Bear Gaming. OMG looks like it's on the path to relegation unless something changes.
47. Echo Fox
Record: 1-9 (5-18) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -2
Well, uh, it's awkward seeing you here, Echo Fox. Keith was a top performer in the South Korean bootcamp, KFO looked dominant on Fiora in week one, and Froggen is Froggen. How did we end up here? I guess Cop as the coach wasn't the main issue for the hibernating Foxes.
48. Saint Gaming
Record: 0-8 (3-16) | League: LPL | +/-: +1
The worst team in China is Saint Gaming and there's very little to say about it besides that.
49. Team Mist
Record: 0-0-5 | League: LMS | +/-: -3
Did not compete this week.
50. eXtreme Gamers
Record: 0-0-5 | League: LMS | +/-: no change
Did not compete this week.
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