RLCS X: Power Rankings NA - Edition #8
We’re nearing the end of the Fall Split, and that means everyone is trying to secure their spot at the Fall Major. Different scheduling meant that between the last Power Rankings and these, the teams played two weeks of The Grid. With that, The Grid is all wrapped up for the Fall Split, and there’s just the third Regional Event to come. Let’s take a look at the strongest teams in NA before the final Regionals.
#10 - XSET Gaming (-2) - tcorrell, JPow, AlphaKep
Don’t be fooled by the (-2), XSET is still a strong team in NA. Other teams are looking stronger, though, so XSET has to make way. They’re coming out of their honeymoon period, and they’re trying to hang on in The Grid. Only just missing out on the playoffs must be tough, but perhaps they can still get some confidence out of it for the Regional Event. Their fight to make it to Stage 2 could be a tough one, but they definitely have what it takes to get there.
#9 - Rogue (+1) - Kronovi, Firstkiller, Turinturo
Rogue fans were getting more and more used to disappointing results from their team in the RLCS X. During Week 9 of The Grid, the team gave their fans hope again, with a very respectable top-four finish. Even in the matches they lost, they looked a little stronger than before. If Rogue can hold on to this form, they might even reach the playoffs in the Regional Event for the first time. The Regionals will tell us if their past struggles come back to haunt them.
#8 - Alpine Esports (-1) - percy., Jordan, creamz
Majicbear is sick. Figuratively, of course, but unfortunately now also literally. For the past two weeks, Alpine has played with their substitute player creamz. Even though creamz obviously played his heart out, Alpine lost all their Grid matches. This means they have to play in The Grid NA Closed Qualifier to make it back into The Grid for the Winter Split. Without majicbear, the squad misses a star player who’s hard to replace. Hopefully, majicbear will get better soon, and play with his mates again. Whether they can come back easily after such an extensive break, though, might be another issue. Regardless, Alpine already qualified for the Fall Major.
#7 - Version1 (New) - AxB, gimmick, Torment
Up until now, Version1 has had a rough Fall Split. Their results don't represent how much talent there is on this team. But somehow, they bounced back in Week 8 and 9 of The Grid. By getting into the playoffs twice, and clutching a win versus eUnited, they secure a spot in The Grid for the Winter Split. Version1 quickly moved up into a position where they can take wins from top-six teams like KCP and NRG. It's a promising position for the RLCS veterans.
#6 - The Peeps (+0) - Gyro., AYYJAYY, Allushin
The Peeps brought some good results in The Grid, but they couldn't bring any upsets. They were so close to sweeping Team Envy in Week 8, but Envy reverse sweeps - or should we say, reverse Peeps. The Peeps got blessed with an easier bracket to make it to the finals in Week 9. They win most of their games, but they fall short against the top five. A good performance on the day at the Regional Event could get them higher than sixth place, though. Not that they really need it: they managed to get into the semi-finals in both the previous Regionals, so they're set for the Fall Major.
#5 - Kansas City Pioneers (+0) - rapid, Memory, BeastMode, Sea-Bass
Where Week 8 went great for the Pioneers, Week 9 wasn't what they'd hoped for. KCP beat G2 and The Peeps to get to the finals last week, but then this week, BeastMode disconnects in the middle of a game against Version1. Sea-Bass replaces him for the remainder of The Grid, but they couldn't win against Version1, nor against a strong G2 Esports.
#4 - Spacestation Gaming (+0) - Sypical, Arsenal, Retals
There's nothing new about Spacestation Gaming being a strong top-four team in NA. They played Week 8 of The Grid accordingly. In Week 9, they had to forfeit their Grid matches, as Retals and Arsenal are moving in together. We've already seen how scary G2 look when they're all on the same page, playing from their team house. Now that SSG is moving in the same direction, it's exciting to see how much damage they can do while living together.
#3 - Team Envy (-1) - Atomic, Mist, Turbopolsa
SSG and NRG have already won a Regional Event this fall, and Envy wants to be the third winner. It would only make sense. Team Envy got to the semi-finals in the first Regionals, to the finals in the second Regionals, so extrapolating the data would get them a first-place finish in the third one.
#2 - G2 Esports (+1) - Jknaps, Rizzo, Chicago
G2 Esports only made it to the quarterfinals in the past two weeks of The Grid, but that doesn’t sound so bad when you know they lost against finalists both times. G2 are your winners of The Grid Rankings for NA, and qualify for the Fall Major as The Grid Wildcard. Not that they needed the wildcard - they’re doing fine in the Regional Events.
#1 - NRG Esports (+0) - GarrettG, Jstn, SquishyMuffinz
Two Grid wins in a row just don’t get NRG the first place in The Grid Rankings, but they’re a great sign that NRG is still at the top. They’re also the winners of the last Regional Event, so they’re defending their title this weekend. They don’t need to fight for points, but they will surely try to play for personal pride and that $30,000 winners prize.
Image via ZeeboDesigns
