League of Legends global power rankings through June 8
— -- Welcome back to our League of Legends global power rankings. Every week, we look at each team in the five major regions and rank them according to how they are currently performing.
We're starting with Week 1 of the NA/EU LCS and Week 2 of the LPL and LCK. The LMS will begin this week, so placements in the rankings will be adjusted accordingly. 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
League: LCK | +/-: no change
We might be witnessing the greatest team we'll ever watch in League of Legends. SKT T1 has started the summer season the way it ended the spring season: destroying everyone in its path. Faker is playing like the best player in the world, Bengi has awakened from his slumber to create a nifty one-two punch along with Blank in the jungle role, and Bang is comfortably sitting in the bottom lane as the best AD carry in the world. A domestic title this split would mean an unprecedented four-peat by the T1 dynasty, and it would give Faker his sixth Korean title in six finals appearances.
2. Royal Never Give Up
League: LPL | +/-: +1
As expected, Royal Never Give Up is proving itself to be one of the best competitors in China. It started off slow in the LPL with an unexpected loss to Team WE but bounced back in that series, taking it 2-1 after strong performances from new bottom lane pair of Uzi and Mata. The fear of Uzi having attitude issues seems to be silenced for now as he's returning to his old form of being one of China's best marksmen.
Royal also took wins over Vici Gaming and Oh My God, taking a 3-0 series record, which makes it first in its group just above Team WE. Royal remains one of the best teams in the world, and will likely make it to Worlds as such assuming nothing drastic changes.
3. Samsung Galaxy
League: LCK | +/-: +25
This is where we apologize to Samsung Galaxy for our misguided evaluation of it going into the season. What appeared to be regression at the end of last season has turned into a learning experience with how well Samsung has responded to start the split. AD carry Ruler might turn out to be the best Korean rookie since Faker in the spring of 2013. Additionally, the steadiness in the bottom lane has allowed Crown, the team's starting mid laner, to progress from an exciting, underappreciated playmaker to a reliable ace with a year of experience under his belt.
4. ROX Tigers
League: | LCK +/-: -2
As the Tigers did last summer, the team has started off the split slowly following a blistering pace in the spring. While the Tigers have experienced great success in the regular season, the perpetual runners-up have lost to SKT in three major finals in the past year. The addition of playmaking mid laner Cry and rotating him with Kuro might not give ROX the prettiest record by the end of the split, but it could be what they need to finally -- and I mean, finally -- beat SK Telecom T1 in an LCK final. Or, at the very least, take two games off it and force it to a deciding fifth set.
5. G2 Esports
League: EU LCS | +/-: +3
Even without a completely healthy support in mithy -- who currently has tendinitis of the wrist -- G2 Esports brought the pain last week. The spring European LCS champion may have taken a vacation before the Mid-Season Invitational, to much criticism we might add, but it's back to proving why it's the top dog in Europe, taking decimating victories over rivals Origen and Giants Gaming.
If dominating scrimmages and its first week performances continue, G2 will indefinitely be a top-10 team in the world. It's likely we'll see this team win Europe again -- and then gets its shot at the League of Legends World Championship in October.
6. Jin Air Green Wings
League: LCK | +/-: no change
Jin Air, as much as it wants to change, is still Jin Air. When the team wins, it grinds out victories and pushes the game timer into the ultra late-game. Jin Air, which is 2-1 in its first three matches, has established itself once against as an early front-runner in Korea, but only time will tell if it'll be another season where the Green Wings falter in the middle of the season per usual. Blanc is the type of aggressive player needed in the lineup to hopefully take over games as he matures, and the development of the highly ranked Korean ladder rookie will be the difference between Jin Air failing to do anything in the playoffs again, or, for once, actually making it into the semifinals of a Champions season.
7. EDward Gaming
League: LPL | +/-: +2
Similar to Royal Never Give Up, EDward Gaming came into its group with guns blazing. It opened up the League Pro League with a 2-1 win over Newbee, with jungler Clearlove playing up to his expectations (to be one of the best junglers in the world.) Even in the one loss in that series, Clearlove put up big numbers on Evelynn (an 11-3-9 KDA).
Then the team took wins over Saint Gaming and Snake eSports fairly convincingly. New starting top laner Mouse showed that he might be the answer to EDward Gaming's need for another top laner when star top laner Koro1 is not playing, whether it's because of health or the team wanting to play someone else.
8. Team SoloMid
League: NA LCS | +/-: +9
Well, that couldn't have gone any better for the back-to-back runners-up of the NA LCS to start the season. Four games and four victories, and capped off by rookie support Vincent "Biofrost" Wang looking calm as can be in his starting role. A week two matchup against last split's regular season champions Immortals will be a good test to see how good this team truly is. But on first impressions alone, Reginald and the staff at TSM should be excited for the starting five they've assembled.
9. Flash Wolves
League: LMS | +/-: -2
Did not compete this week.
10. Afreeca Freecs
League: LCK | +/-: +2
Nicknamed the "Titan Slayers" by SPOTV, Afreeca is looking to live up to its moniker this summer. The Cinderella story of last season was prematurely ended last season in the first round of the playoffs by Jin Air Green Wings, and it's up to the Freecs to learn from its playoff experience and come back even better. A 2-1 start is nothing to scoff at, but wins over struggling Longzhu and CJ Entus isn't anything to write home about. We'll see how good the Freecs are later this week when the club goes up against one of the "Korea Big Three' in KT Rolster.
Playoff contenders
11. Team WE
League: LPL | +/-: +4
Team WE is one of the few teams in the LPL that has played four series already. And between those series, it lost only the opener against Royal Never Give Up, which is undisputedly the best team in China currently. Besides that, Team WE has taken down Oh My God, 2-0, then I May and LGD Gaming in 2-1 victories.
In its wins, AD carry Mystic has shown a lot of strength. Meanwhile, top laner 957 has shown the consistency that he is slowly becoming known for. Overall, Team WE looks like the second-best team in Group B, only under Royal. Internationally, it makes the case for playoff contenders.
12. Immortals
League: NA LCS | +/-: -2
Immortals had to go to three games to beat Cloud9 in its opening matchup, but the series was well played by both sides. We know how strong offensively and mechanically this time is, however, as we saw in its 0-3 sweep loss to TSM in the semifinals last split, flexibility might be its biggest challenge. If Immortals can play around more than just the topside of the map with Huni and Reignover and grow from the expanded NA LCS format, we could be looking at the best team in the West come Worlds.
13. Ahq e-Sports Club
League: LMS | +/-: -2
Did not compete this week.
14. KT Rolster
League: LCK | +/-: -10
Rolster, primarily a summer-season team, hasn't been too bright in its first four matches. It barely escaped a match against rookies MVP with a 2-0 victory, and the team has looked out of its depth against top teams like ROX and SK Telecom T1. Ssumday is one of the best top laners in the world, and that's all you can really say about KT thus far. It has been a one-man show, and the inability of Fly and Arrow to consistently perform as carries has hamstrung the team from ever surpassing into championship status. As long as neither Fly and Arrow can be a constant force, KT Rolster might get lapped by its former rivals at the top of the table.
15. ESC EVER
League: LCK | +/-: +9
ESC Ever is one of the best rookie teams to ever play in Champions Korea. The team is filled with talent, and it has put on a series of competitive matches in its first two weeks in the premier league. Loken and Key are already one of the top AD carry and support duos in the league, and jungler Bless is a much-needed lightning rod for the up-tempo squad. Winning the championship might be nothing more than a pipe dream this split, but don't be too surprised if ESC are fighting for the fourth or fifth and final playoff spot in the last week of the season.
16. Fnatic
League: EU LCS | +/-: no change
Fnatic left the weekend with one victory and one tie. It took a fairly convincing victory over Giants Gaming, which has seen improvement privately in scrimmages. It's tie, however, came off the back of Team Vitality, which has struggled to find its identity in practice and tied with Splyce, which is considered one of the worst in the league based off scrim results.
For now, Fnatic stays relatively where we estimated originally. It's hard to say how it will do this season for certain, although they usually perform well in playoffs. For now, Fnatic is an upper-middle-tier team in the world, below G2 Esports, which is clearly the best.
17. Counter Logic Gaming
League: NA LCS | +/-: -12
It isn't time to panic, CLG fans. It's all right. An 0-2 start might look scary on paper, but you have to remember that the NA champions had barely any time to react to the current patch with all the midseason changes. TSM and Apex Gaming, the two teams which beat CLG, both look on upward trend, and it'd be foolish to start looking at the MSI finalists as an underdog so soon. CLG thrives when it is counted out and seen as a pushover, so the champion might have everyone where it wants them.
18. Machi 17
League: LMS | +/-: +2
Did not compete this week.
19. Team EnVyUs
League: NA LCS | +/-: +18
How far can this Renegades/Impulse plus LOD hybrid do in its inaugural season? The Korean trio on the topside of the map in Seraph, Procxin, and Ninja are synergizing perfectly, and the North American bottom lane of LOD and Hakuho are clicking as a tandem, as well. Seraph leads all NA players in player of the game superlatives after Week 1, and Envy's top laner deserves it. An entire split of thee perfectly timed teleports and well-time flanks will result in the journeyman of the NA LCS becoming its MVP.
20. H2k Gaming
League: EU LCS | +/-: +1
H2k Gaming ended with two ties over the weekend against Team ROCCAT and FC Schalke 04, both are which considered middle-of-the-pack teams in Europe. While H2k is probably not as good as G2 Esports (no one right now in Europe is), it can be compared to Fnatic for certain. Both teams have the potential to grow into a higher-tier team.
In the world, the team is probably in the top 30 but certainly nowhere near the level of the top contenders. It has a lot of work to do if it wants to grow, but unlike some teams, getting there isn't impossible.
Middle of the pack
21. Apex Gaming
League: NA LCS | +/-: +17
Although Apex possess a 10-man roster, it might not need to tinker with anything if the current starting five keeps up the pace. Ray, the Korean import transferred over from China's Edward Gaming organization, has been brilliant so far and looks like the key component in turning Apex from a respectable minor league champion to a major league title contender. There is still lots of time left for this seemingly impressive team to slip up and fall back down to earth, yet, with veteran support Xpecial at the helm and pick/ban specialist Saintvicious coaching, Apex could be the surprise of the split.
22. Game Talents
League: LPL | +/-: +23
Against all odds, Game Talents had quite the first week of performances in its debut in the LPL. Like WE, the team played four series, faltering in only one against Invictus Gaming, who is also arguably upper middle of the pack. But the victories from Game Talents were impressive as the team took W's over Newbee, Snake eSports, and Saint Gaming.
With that kind of performance, Game Talents looks to be in the middle of group A, below EDward Gaming and similar in position to Invictus Gaming. We'll have to see how the remainder of the season plays out for this team but if it keeps in form, it could be a playoff contender for China.
23. Cloud9
League: NA LCS | +/-: no change
If C9 keep up its current pace, it'll play more games this season than it did all last year combined. The former two-time NA LCS champions played six games this weekend and split them down the middle 3-3 to put them right in the middle of the pack alongside Echo Fox in the standings. Impact and Meteos were brilliant in their debut and re-debuts, and as long as the team can figure out which support is better between Smoothie and Bunny Fufuu, this is going to be a fun (and possibly incredibly long) split for Cloud9.
24. Team ROCCAT
League: EU LCS | +/-: +8
Someone get these men some ties ... wait, they already have some from the weekend. After going even with Splyce and H2k Gaming, ROCCAT has shown improvement from last split, although it's hard to say how much just yet. The new format probably will favor this team, which will certainly have a lot of ties by the end of it all.
Rookie top laner Lee Parang Sang-won had a decent debut performance, aside from a Nautilus game that neither he nor we would like to remember in the future. Meanwhile AD carry Steeelback showed his consistency as a staple European marksman, and mid laner Betsy dominated on Swain and Vladimir. Overall, ROCCAT may have what it takes to be a strong team if it learns to come together (and not play Nautilus).
25. Hong Kong Esports
League: LMS | +/-: +16
Did not compete this week.
26. CJ Entus
League: LCK | +/-: -7
It's not a fun time to be a CJ Entus fan. The hope that amateur prodigy Bdd would come in and save the franchise has quickly dissipated. It's not to say he isn't a good player -- he is -- but the team's lack of variation in play and wonky decision-making has put it precariously close to the relegation zone. Madlife is playing the way he did back when Azubu Frost were ruling over Korea in 2012, however, the team around him isn't nearly as good or consistent. Untara, Haru, Bdd, and even Kramer can all go from looking like stars one game to being huge liabilities the next.
27. Echo Fox
League: NA LCS | +/-: -2
The Foxes feel as if they're on edge, teetering between being top five or dropping into the fight for relegation. Apex and Envy's impressive starts mean the NA LCS is going to be much more competitive than last year, and that means Echo Fox can't rest on its laurels. Kfo, Froggen, and Keith are an above-average triple threat of carries, and they'll all need to play better together as a unit if they want to make the postseason for the first time in club history.
28. Vici Gaming
League: LPL | +/-: -2
Vici Gaming is slightly below where we had it last time we did international rankings, but that's not all that surprising. The team is still very much a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of international skill, as well as middle of the pack in its group for now. It could, however, prove to be the third best in group B if it performs well throughout the rest of the season.
Its first game in the LPL summer was a brutal loss to Royal Never Give Up, though it took victories over I May and LGD Gaming, the former which is also a competitor for that third position and the latter which has been in free fall for the last eight months. Regardless, Vici is on the path to being middle of the pack and unless it brings out any surprises, it will continue on that path.
29. Invictus Gaming
League: LPL | +/-: +4
Invictus Gaming has had a bumpy ride so far in the LPL. Its win over Saint Gaming left much to be desired, as the games were closer than they should be for Invictus. But its win over Game Talents shows it's still a middle- of-the-pack competitor in group A. That said, it also lost to Newbee, who is not looking great at the moment.
Invictus certainly has consistency issues, and those will need to be resolved if it hopes to make it to playoffs in a group that, aside from EDward Gaming, looks pretty open for the taking. It'll have the chance to really prove what it's made of this week as it faces EDward Gaming and Snake eSports.
30. FC Schalke 04
League: EU LCS | +/-: +13
Schalke took a convincing win over the Unicorns of Love this past weekend, and tieing with H2k. For most, that's much better than originally expected, as many rated Schalke as a bottom-tier team in the LCS. That's probably no longer true, with scrimmages and this weekend's performance putting them more toward the middle of the pack.
New mid laner Fox is indefinitely an improvement over the team's previous mid laner Eika. The remainder of the Schalke team performed slightly better than expected. It's not far-fetched to think that this team could take higher than its previous seventh if it continues performing decently.
Struggling
31. MVP
League: LCK | +/-: -2
Unlike its rookie brother in ESC, MVP isn't finding the same success in its first run. We've seen it come close -- KT Rolster came back from the brink of death to beat it -- and fail repeatedly in the squad's first three matches of the split. Still, MVP is imaginative and a joy to watch, something we couldn't say for the likes of Kongdoo Monster or even SBENU Sonicboom last split. The team's Amumu composition shocked the ROX Tigers and took a game off it, and even though the team's 3-0, the players don't seem scared to play against the best in the region. A bit better shot-calling and management in the late-game could bring MVP from one of the two Korean relegation spots to at least surviving the do-or-die best-of-five promotional match over the likes of Longzhu Gaming and CJ Entus.
32. Vitality
League: EU LCS | +/-: -5
Previously ranked 27th on our list, Vitality's weekend ended with ties against Schalke and Fnatic. It's certainly not a terrible weekend, but the team is probably close to Schalke, ROCCAT, and H2k in terms of overall performance, lower than we originally expected.
The team requires improvement, but it's not too far-fetched for it to find its footing and snap up in the rankings in the future. For now, however, Vitality is a middle of the pack team in Europe and probably the same internationally.
33. Team J
League: LMS | +/-: -3
Did not compete this week.
34. I May
League: LPL | +/-: +8
I May is also one of the LPL's newest teams. And so far, it has taken victories over the likes of LGD Gaming and Oh My God but has fallen flat to Vici Gaming and Team WE. Losing to WE doesn't mean much, as the team is probably the second-best team in group B, but the Vici loss sends a bit of a sting for the young team. That loss shows that I May, like Vici, are in the middle of group B.
This week, I May faces Royal Never Give Up, which will more than likely slaughter them in-game. But don't count out I May just yet. They're significantly better than Oh My God and LGD Gaming, which isn't all that difficult given those two's current form, so they could contend for a playoff berth in their group.
35. Longzhu
League: LCK | +/-: -24
We were wrong about Longzhu. We shouldn't have said they had a lot of potential. We shouldn't have given them the benefit of the doubt. Coco is a shell of his former self from CJ last year. Chaser really hasn't been good all year long. Fury and Emperor are sinking stones in the AD carry role, and LZ's best AD, CptJack, can't even come in and save the day since he's a commentator now. Expession's teleports are continually offpoint. Crash, a mechanical marvel and second on the Korean ladder, hasn't been given enough experience to play on the main stage. A team that had so much hype and money behind it, similarly to LGD in China, is now at the bottom of the table and out of excuses for its incompetence.
36.Splyce
League: EU LCS | +/-: +11
Like ROCCAT, these men need some ties. The debut of rookie support Mikyx was decent; he played four different champions (Bard, Trundle, Thresh, and Braum) with results on Bard and Braum specifically. However, the team took ties against Vitality and ROCCAT, both considered middle of the pack teams.
Splyce may be able to improve this year but it's too early to tell currently. It'll need mid laner Sencux to step up, but the true issue of Splyce is the lack of experience. Only one player, jungler Trashy, has played more than one split in the LCS. And even then, he has been on lackluster teams each time. For now, Splyce remains at the bottom.
37. Team Liquid
League: NA LCS | +/-: -23
The season starts now for Team Liquid. Dardoch has been reinstated from his preseason suspension, and the team can't fall behind any more than its current 0-2 start in the league. TL's goal is to make the World Championships this year, and it was merely a teamfight or two away from making the NA LCS finals last split. But due to the inclusion of Apex and Team Envy into the mix, the fight for the top six spots in NA is going to be tougher than ever. TL has its starting five back, and now it's time to string together some victories.
38. Snake Esports
League: LPL | +/-: -9
As expected, Snake eSports is not nearly as competitive as it once was in the LPL. The team has one victory under its belt over Newbee, which are lackluster and worse than originally expected by many. But its losses come from EDward Gaming and Game Talents, which are the best team in group A and a top-three contender respectively.
The bright side for Snake is that one of its AD carries, kRYST4L performed well in its losses. But that changed in its win over Newbee when it started Martin instead. The plan for Snake is uncertain and its current results pits it at the bottom of the middle of the pack. Luckily, it's better than Saint Gaming and Newbee, so relegation doesn't seem to be a concern.
39. Midnight Sun Esports
League: LMS | +/-: +5
Did not compete this week.
40. Unicorns of Love
League: EU LCS | +/-: no change
The Unicorns of Love had an expected tie, and an unexpected victory over Origen last week. But don't let its victory over Origen fool you, as Origen is currently having issues finding its footing as a team and are not having great scrimmage results. The Unicorns' tie, however, comes against Schalke, which many consider a middle-of-the-pack team.
For now, the Unicorns remain in the same place as it did in our original ranking. It has the potential to be a better team, but we need to see more play from them before making any major assumptions. However, if Exileh can continue to play as well as he did against xPeke and PowerofEvil against other mid laners, Unicorns might have found a great mid laner, and thus, improved performances.
41. Newbee
League: LPL | +/-: -23
Newbee has the potential to be great but that hasn't shown, even in the slightest, thus far. The team is not living up to expectations, which comes only as a slight surprise due to mid laner dade being extremely lackluster since moving to China at the end of 2014. All things considered, though, he's the only change to a team that used to be Qiao Gu Reapers.
Its only victory is over Invictus Gaming, and it has losses to Snake, Game Talents, and EDward Gaming. The loss to Snake is unacceptable for a team like Newbee, which should win that game with ease if it performed properly. For now, Newbee remains at the bottom of group A, only above Saint Gaming, and will need to do something to get itself back up.
42. Giants Gaming
League: EU LCS | +/-: +4
Giants Gaming by far had the toughest schedule of any European team last week. The team faced off against G2 Esports and Fnatic, both of which are considered top-three teams in Europe, with G2 Esports having a significant hold on the best team in the region. But don't count out Giants just yet.
New mid laner NighT performed poorly, albeit against Febiven and Perkz, two of the best mid laners in the region. Similarly, fellow rookie Maxlore had issues against legendary Fnatic jungler Spirit and G2 Esports young gun Trick. Giants, however, has had moderate results in scrimmages, so it could definitely improve from its 10th-place finish from last split.
43. NRG Esports
League: NA LCS | +/-: -9
Before the season began, NRG Esports was expected to go one of two ways: eccentrically magnificent or downright trainwreck. The group of five put together by NRG looked promising and exciting on paper, and it would all come down to whether the mixed-language team could work together along with Quas' return to competitive play after being retired for almost a year. Two matches into the season and things aren't looking too hot for the team. GBM and Ohq aren't living up to their past selves, Quas looks more than just a little bit rusty, and Santorin isn't having an impact whatsoever in the jungle.
44. LGD Gaming
League: LPL | +/-: -8
LGD Gaming is one of the saddest stories of the LPL. Once the best team in China, its fall from grace shows how roster inconsistency can break a team, even with stars like MaRin and imp on the lineup. If any team has potential to be good but can never figure it out, that would be LGD Gaming.
But unlike Newbee, which is very similar in terms of overall performance, LGD Gaming doesn't have a single win. It's taken three losses to the likes of Vici Gaming, I May, and Team WE. The WE loss is more than acceptable, and the Vici one is arguably okay, but it shouldn't lose to I May.
45. Origen
League: EU LCS | +/-: -23
Origen's performance in the European LCS this weekend left much to be desired. It took a loss to G2 Esports, which is certainly expected at this point but also another loss to the Unicorns of Love, which have struggled significantly in scrimmages since its roster moves. Now with FORG1VEN out of the picture and xPeke playing AD carry, the once second-place finisher in Europe looks like one of -- if not the worst -- team in the region.
A roster move this early may prove to be harmful to the team and its environment, which is already in flux according to sources close to the team. It will need to find a new AD carry who can mesh well in hopes of saving itself from a bottom three finish and slotting into the relegation tournament.
46. Saint Gaming
League:LPL | +/-: -11
Saint Gaming, like LGD Gaming and Oh My God, doesn't look good, but its results are understandable since it has played versus EDward Gaming and Game Talents, both of which look like favorites for the top three of group A. Its third loss is to Invictus Gaming, which is expected, but proves that Saint Gaming is a bottom team in its group.
To fix itself, it will need top laner Acorn to show up big. He has done it in the past, notable for his time in Samsung Galaxy Blue and the golden era of LGD Gaming. But he's not performing well in the current meta of champs like Fizz, Vladimir, Swain, and Ekko. That'll need to change if Saint Gaming has any hope.
47. eXtreme Gamers
League: LMS | +/-: +1
Did not compete this week.
48. OMG
League: LPL | +/-: -9
Oh My God, like LGD Gaming and Saint Gaming, looks awful in-game. The team hasn't even won a single game, falling completely flat to I May, Team WE, and Royal Never Give Up. It's hard to argue that Oh My God isn't the worst team in group B.
This week it faces off against Vici Gaming and LGD Gaming. All things considered, it should lose to Vici Gaming, which looks like a middle-of-the-pack team in group B. And in the match against LGD Gaming, it will prove which is the worst team in the group and one of the worst in China.
49. Team Mist
League: LMS | +/-: no change
Did not compete this week.
50. Phoenix1
League: NA LCS | +/-: no change
P1 played much better than expected in the first match week. Sure, the massive underdogs weren't able to pick off any map wins from its foes, but if things like moral victories count, then Phoenix1 has a lot of those in its first weekend of play. This team is still more than likely to end up in one of the three relegation spots unless an unforeseen quick turnaround happens. From here on, let's see if the best-of-three format can do good for a team like P1. It was close to winning maps in Week 1, and the heavy load of games might be the training it needs to start getting itself back into the playoff picture.
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