RLCS X Fall Split: Pre-Season Power Rankings - NA

Get up. Get loud. Gameday for RLCS X is nearly upon us for North America with the first Grid Cup soon, before the first NA regional event of the Fall Split the following weekend. It has been a pack off-season on the NA side of things, multiple off-season events, appearances on ESPN, and even the reigning world champions switching up their roster. As North America gets ready to return, we present the return of the GGRecon Power Rankings with our pre-season edition.

 

#10 - XSET Gaming - AlRaz, JPow, AlphaKep

The former Stromboli side nearly made it into RLCS outright in the promotion playoffs, but falling short there has not demotivated them. A constant fixture just outside the playoffs fixture, since adding AlphaLep to the roster, XSET Gaming’s losses bar one have only come to teams in our top 5. With victories over the likes of G2 Esports, Charlotte Phoenix, Susquehanna, and Rat Enterprises (now Version1), XSET will hope to become the top-performing RLRS side in the league and justify a spot in our top ten.

#9 - eUnited - Hockser, Ayjacks, WondaMike

Since barely retaining their RLCS status, eUnited has seen a slow but steady uptick in form. Roll Dizz’s retirement paved the way for Memory to join, and a deep run in Spring Series qualifiers plus an impressive 3rd place in Codename: COVERT had eUnited on everyone’s radar. However last-place showings in The Brawl 10K & BTS: Summer Shuffle meant Memory was dropped in favour of young gun WondaMike, who hopes to add some offensive versatility to aid Hockser & Ayjacks. Their early improvements earn them ninth here but how high or low they end is anyone’s guess.

#8 - Plot Twist - Mectos, Taroco, Sosa

Perhaps the most exciting roster out of the RLRS on paper, the addition of Sosa to the former Chaos side took a while to get going but has proved an exciting addition. Topping the Summer Shuffle qualifier and placing top six in the main event after a win over eUnited, Mectos & Taroco have happily fed the beast that is Sosa, whose stats that event rivalled world-class players. Taking five games in defeats to NRG, Rogue & Version1 in the ESPN Invitational shows that was far from a  fluke, as Plot Twist looks to turn heads in RLCSX.

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#7 - Version1 - Torment, Gimmick, AxB

It’s a long road back to the top for ex-Cloud9, especially after SquishyMuffinz’s departure, but AxB hopes to provide a bit of stability. As Rat Enterprises, Gimmick & Torment suffered through a less than impressive off-season, becoming a consistent fixture outside the top eight. But immediately with AxB they got a respectable fifth-sixth placing in the ESPN Invitational, the French Canadian hoping to mirror the form that had many thinking he was the NA MVP last season. Gimmick & Torment need to show they can still perform even if their star player has departed.

#6 - G2 Esports - Jknaps, Rizzo, Chicago

After a crushingly dominant win in the Spring Series, G2 seemed poised for a long reign as top dogs in NA. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Their record since them is 2-6 vs RLCS sides and only 5-9 vs all sides. Failure to make the playoffs in Codename: COVERT and last places in BTS Summer Shuffle & ESPN invitational far outweigh the 3rd-4th in the Brawl 10K. Their strongest victories are against lowly Alpine, who are 12th in our rankings, a far cry from the top NA side in Spring.

#5 - Omelette - Freshness, Luke, LionBlaze

THE biggest surprise story of the off-season is the incredible ascent the former Mirage squad has experienced. Top six in Codename: COVERT while ZPS was their third win over Rogue, The Sonqis & Pittsburgh Knights was impressive, but it was the BTS Summer Shuffle where Omelette made their name. Wins over G2, Rogue, Envy & Rogue again saw Omelette take an unlikely second place, only ever losing to NRG. They’ve followed that up with further wins over Version1 & Rogue again in Astronauts qualifiers, so in the interim, they are a bonafide top-five side in NA.

#4 - Spacestation Gaming - Sypical, Arsenal, Retals

A late move before roster lock saw the end of NA’s most consistent side as AxB was dropped for Retals, but despite only being 4th here, they’re a terrifying prospect with the potential for first. When you possess the best player in NA, if not the world in Sypical, you’ll always be competitive. The core has only missed the top four once since RLCS S8, and their first major outing saw them defeat Envy & G2 en route to third-fourth in the ESPN Invitational. And as time goes on, the inevitable chemistry will do some damage.

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#3 - Team Envy - Atomic, Mist, Turbopolsa

Another team, another title for Turbo. If the fact they’re the only side that isn’t NRG to win a big event in the off-season isn’t an indication of Envy’s intentions in Rocket League, it’s hard to say what is. Results are still a bit mixed as the spirit of Ghost Gaming lives on, but Mist has come into his own on this roster, at times being the lead goal scorer for the boys in blue. And of course, when Atomic is on his game, it's GG, just a bit more consistency and Envy will be a title contender.

#2 - Rogue - Kronovi, Firstkiller, Turinturo

Unlikely risers Rogue have gone from relegation tournament survivors to second-best in NA before RLCS X. Having not placed outside the top four with Turo, and being only one of two sides to defeat our top-ranked side in the off-season. With the perfect mix of mechanics and youth, Rogue will hope to keep the appearances on Champion’s Field to a minimum as for as far as they’ve come all three players can still go much further.

#1 - NRG Esports - GarrettG, Jstn, SquishyMuffinz

Shocker, I know. It may feel like deja vu, but yes, NRG’s post-world title hangover has ended, and they are back to their terrifying and dominant best. A controversial move to drop Turbopolsa in favour of SquishyMuffinz has yielded immediate results: Three tournament wins and a second-place. Squishy has been surprising quality as the third man on the roster, although NRG’s rotation is very fluid, with GarrettG the pillar of top-class consistency, and Jstn, well being Jstn, everyone is good at everything, and it’s not a case of who dethrones NRG, but if someone even does it.

Best of the Rest

The Peeps say you shouldn’t sleep on them, but it's hard not to after losing star player Retals. Allushin joining should free up Gyro to be explosive but AyyJayy needs to find consistency in order for The Peeps to succeed. Alpine Esports had a dire off-season with only occasional individual good results. However, a top-six showing at the ESPN invitational, including a sweep over SSG might be what kick starts their ascent to the top. And finally, Charlotte Phoenix & Susquehanna Soniqs in an alternate reality could both be top eight sides, but for now, languish just inside our sweet sixteen, it will be a long road to the top for all parties involved.

Full Rankings

1. NRG Esports
2. Rogue
3. Team Envy
4. Spacestation Gaming
5. Omelette
6. G2 Esports
7. Version1
8. Plot Twist
9. eUnited
10.  XSET Gaming
11. The Peeps
12. Alpine Esports
13. Charlotte Phoenix
14. Susquehanna Soniqs
15. Kansas City Pioneers
     

Images via Javier Bolivar