OGN Apex Season three is quickly approaching. Now two seasons in, it’s clear who the favorites are and which teams will have to work their way up. Lunatic-Hai are the defending champs, but it’s not out of the question to see a meteoric rise from a team similar to the upstart RunAway.

However, with little player acquisition during the offseason, more teams will have better chemistry and familiarity with their teams. Look for more consistent results this season as teams continue to grow together. Here are my preseason Power Rankings before the season kicks off on April 28th.

1. Lunatic-Hai

The defending Champions bring back a full roster to begin their title defense. Lunatic-Hai will still have the matchup advantages, with two of the best supports, and possibly the best player in all of competitive Overwatch, Lee “Who.r.u” Seung Joon. They’ll look to be the first team to repeat as Apex champions.

2. RunAway

Season two was the coming out party for one of the most talented teams in Overwatch. Future stars like Ryu “Kaiser” Sang Hoon and Kim “Haksal” Hyo Jong made their presence known on the national stage. Despite blowing a 3-1, the underdog team will be a heavy favorite to make another deep playoff run in season three.

3. LW Blue

LW Blue, after another solid season, have cemented their place as a top-three team in Overwatch. The full roster is back for season three, and this could be the season LW Blue finally puts an entire season together to win it all. The only losses on their record last season: Lunatic-Hai (3-0), KongDoo Pantera (5-4 in overall games), and barely losing to RunAway in the semifinals (3-2). This team is close to breaking through.

4. MetaAthena

Similarly to RunAway, MetaAthena surprised the Overwatch world in season two. First by taking out the season one champions in group A (Team EnvyUs), and then making it all the way through to the playoffs. MetaAthena is a true threat to win the whole thing, and in my eyes, one of the best rosters in the entire league. Keep an eye on Chou “Hoon” Jae Hoon to have another big season.

5. KongDoo Panthera

At certain points during season two, the Panthera squad looked like the best team in the league. The 9-0 in the group stages (including 3-0 over RunAway), only to be halted in the second group by MetaAthena, and eventually LW Blue. It was a disappointing end to their season, but with their DPS centered roster, it will be a tough draw again in season three. That said, Pantera did add two needed tank mains, which will change their approach.

6. KongDoo Uncia

The other side of KongDoo Tuesday is the exciting Uncia squad. The favorite heading into season two looked strong early on, but then got a bad break with their group two draw (RunAway and Lunatic-Hai in group). Now this team made some changes, moving one of the top DPS mains, in Kim “Birdring” Ji Hyuk. It’ll be interesting to see if the new faves will make the same impact.

7. Team EnVyUs

The best non-Korean team is back after failing to repeat as champions. After a fairly dominant season one, EnvyUs struggled to make it out of the group stages. The perception around the league is that this is one of the weaker teams in Apex. EnvyUs did lose Dennis “INTERNETHULK” Hawelka, but he was one of the main reasons this team struggled in season two. A stronger support main will be a huge help to their front end players.

8. Afreeca Freecs Blue

The Blue squad surprised people by making it into group stage two, but that run didn’t last long. This team’s ceiling is still plenty high, especially with the addition of KongDoo Uncia’s support main, Yoo “Lucid” Jun Seo. Look for this team to be a threat in group stage one.

9. BK Stars

BK Stars were one of the most efficient teams in season one, but after a disappointing season two, this team looks to get back to the playoffs. This team was close to winning it all in season one, but that’s ancient history now. With little changes made to the roster, this team will have plenty of familiarity with each other.

10. Rogue

Rogue is back in Apex after sitting out season two. The second best foreign team in Overwatch will have to readjust to a league that made huge strides in season two in terms of skill. Even with a successful season one, this team will have their hands full.

11. X6-Gaming

In terms of sleeper teams, X6 could be the team to watch in season three. Sweeping through challenger with little hiccups shows this team’s potential. There’s no doubt this team deserves to be in the premier league.

12. ConBox Spirit

Similarly to BK Stars, ConBox has been around since season one, and has been good enough to stay in the premiere league. It took them winning on super week, but they showed they were in a class above the rest as they easily took care of business to avoid relegation.

13. Mighty AOD

After missing out on making the premier league in season two, Mighty AOD stormed through super week to finish second in their group. AOD took out FlashLux twice in challenger with relative ease. This could be another surprise squad in season three.

14. MVP Space

The sister squad, MVP Infinity, was relegated out of the premier league, and now it’s MVP Space’s turn. They even blew out Infinity 3-0 to make it through. But the 3-0 loss to ConBox raises some questions.

15. FlashLux

The most underwhelming team in season two barely makes it back by winning the losers group to qualify. The one promising aspect in season two was playing as a team in tournament. More familiarity in season three might do them some good.

16. Rhinos Gaming Wings

After being relegated in season two, Rhinos Gaming Wings is back. The wins over MVP Infinity and AfreecaFreecs Red pushed them over the top. It’s going to be an uphill battle for Rhinos as they look to avoid relegation in season three.

Photos courtesy of http://wiki.teamliquid.net/overwatch/Overwatch_APEX/Season_3

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