RLCS X: Power Rankings NA - Edition #9
The regular season of the Fall Split has come to an end, and the Major is up next. For this edition of the NA Power Rankings, we’re extending the top ten to include all 16 teams who are competing at the first North American Major, starting October 18.
Unfortunately, the RLCS veterans from Version1 didn’t make it to the Major, so they won’t be on this list. They have performed a bit better in The Grid, though, where they barely made the top ten. That means we’ll see them back in The Grid for the next Split, to prove they can do better than this.
#16 - BoSF eSports - Toastie, Lj., Kraziks
The Board of Shadowy Figures, previously known as Jamal Jabary, have managed to get to Stage 2 in all three Regionals. They didn’t play in The Grid this Split, so they didn’t get as much experience as other teams, but at least they performed well in The Field. Toastie’s brother, Moses, played in the RLCS finals in Season 1 and 2, so Toastie has a lot to live up to.
#15 - Susquehanna Soniqs - Satthew, jruss, Roll Dizz
The Soniqs were a decent top-ten team not too long ago, but they’ve been slightly falling off lately. They have two weeks to get back to their old form for the Major, or they won’t be able to do much against the other 15 teams. With players like jruss and Roll Dizz, they can pop off from time to time, but they lack that consistency that’s oh so important in the RLCS X.
- Read More - The RLCS X Effect
#14 - Pittsburgh Knights - Radoko, kinseh, ZPS.
The Knights follow the Soniqs in performing progressively worse. We know what they’re capable of, though. Their Grid performances haven’t been half bad, and they will occasionally get close to higher-rated teams. The Major looks to be a hard battle for the Pittsburgh Knights, but maybe they can do their city proud.
#13 - Team Frontline - Andy, Beastaboniam, Delta
Team Frontline is the second team with an appearance in this list without holding a spot in The Grid this Split. This Fall Split must have been frustrating for Frontline: in all three Regional Events, the team just missed out on the Playoffs by one series. Going 2-3 in every Stage 2 is still an achievement for the rookies, and they look eager to get even further in the Swiss Stage of the Major.
#12 - Plot Twist - Taroco, mectos, sosa
Plot Twist haven’t always looked that good, but they know how to impress. To make Stage 2 in the third Regional Event, Plot Twist didn’t lose a single series - against KCP and SSG! You can have all the consistency in the regular season, but when it comes to the Major, a team in good shape on the day can still take the win. Plot Twist are looking to do just that.
#11 - Ghost Gaming - Luke, Freshness, Lionblaze
Coming into the Fall Split, there was a lot of hype around the Omelette squad. The team hasn’t really been able to live up to all of that hype, but their third Regional Event under Ghost Gaming was an improvement. Getting so close to Playoffs and then losing in the fifth round is devastating, and they surely don’t want that to happen again.
#10 - XSET Gaming (+0) - tcorrell, JPow, AlphaKep
In the previous Power Rankings, we said: “Their fight to make it to Stage 2 could be a tough one, but they definitely have what it takes to get there.” Indeed, XSET got to Stage 2, confirming their tenth position in these Power Rankings. XSET are one of those teams that consistently reflect these rankings; They win against worse teams, and lose against better teams. In the Major, they will have to break with that tradition to get through the Swiss Stage.
#9 - eUnited - ayjacks, WondaMike, .tristn
WondaMike’s team makes it into the top ten by making it into the Playoffs for the last week of The Grid and the last Regional Event. They might lack the consistency to get any further than that, but they’re a team on the rise while others are falling off. This might just be enough to create a few upsets here and there.
#8 - Alpine Esports (+0) - percy., Jordan, majicbear
Majicbear is back! After two weeks of illness, he’s back on his controller to win. After a tough Stage 2, Alpine just missed out on the Playoffs, but making it that far already shows that they’ve recovered and are here to play. Even such an unfortunate situation at the end of the season doesn’t move the ibex off his rock.
#7 - Rogue (+2) - Kronovi, Firstkiller, Turinturo
We don’t mean to give Rogue fans false hope, but things are looking up for Kronovi and co. They swept the Pioneers and the Peeps in Stage 2 of the third Regionals, after a good end to The Grid. They’ve come a long way, and now they’re looking to do damage in the Playoffs at the Major.
#6 - The Peeps (+0) - Gyro., AYYJAYY, Allushin
The Peeps had already proven that they’re a solid top-six team, and they finished the regular season just as strong. Now that absolutely nobody sleeps on the Peeps anymore, they have somewhat lost their underdog status. What remains is their skill and teamwork to find ways to win. They’ll want to make that count at the North American Major.
#5 - Spacestation Gaming (-1) - Sypical, Arsenal, Retals
Spacestation is still strong, but the Pioneers are stronger. Between the teams in the top five or six, everyone can potentially win it all at the Major. Arsenal and his amigos have slightly fallen from their throne as greatest in NA, so their fight seems to be harder now.
#4 - Kansas City Pioneers (+1) - rapid, Memory, BeastMode
What a stellar performance we’ve seen from the Pioneers lately. While they were gaining traction through The Grid, they raced to the grand finals in the third Regional Event. There, they took Team Envy all the way to game seven. Memory and his mates are glowing with confidence coming into this Major. The expectations for them are higher than ever, so let’s see if they can handle it.
#3 - G2 Esports (-1) - Jknaps, Rizzo, Chicago
G2 Esports took The Grid Wildcard to secure their spot in the Major, but they didn’t really need that, with a sixth place in the RLCS rankings. G2 managed to win three Grids, sure, but when it comes to the Regionals, they get stuck in the quarterfinals or semi-finals. Of course, that’s still amazing with how strong NA has looked in recent months, but G2 is a team that has the talent and skills to take it all. G2 has a lethal offence, but it became quite apparent in the last Regionals that their defence is sometimes completely missing. If they can clean that up, they can steal that number-one spot from anyone.
#2 - NRG Esports (-1) - GarrettG, Jstn, SquishyMuffinz
If we’ve learned one thing from NRG, it’s that their shooting is so strong that it can completely wipe other teams off the field. Just like G2, they lost against the winning team in the third Regional Event, so they didn’t make the finals. But other than that, they’re looking as strong as ever, going into the Major.
#1 - Team Envy (+2) - Atomic, Mist, Turbopolsa
We predicted it in the previous Power Rankings: “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.” It only made sense for Envy to be the third winners of a Regional Event in NA. With that, they take the lead in these Power Rankings, as they are the defending champions coming into the Major. It’s going to be exciting to see if they can get the title, out of all of the fierce competition.
Image via ZeeboDesigns
