Note: In these Overwatch League power rankings, an analysis on the state of the League is made, including how every team is affected by hero pools and role lock. It takes into account likely starters and player hero selections. This is simply an assessment on the strength of the teams, however, so the schedule, traveling, and playoffs do not factor in.

The 2020 Overwatch League Season has arrived, and it is shaping up to be an exciting one. This offseason brought a lot of turmoil to the League, both to its core, from Blizzard’s side, and to its main attraction, from the teams. Opinions on these are mixed, as usual.

Two major changes make rating teams a more difficult ordeal. Role lock and hero pools mean that what occurred in Seasons 1 and 2 is no longer representative of the current state of the League.

See also: Hero Pools: On One-Tricks, Subs, and Coaching in the Overwatch League

#20 Boston Uprising

Boston’s offseason saw the team make a few improvements and a few sidegrades or downgrades, depending on who you ask. They brought on Mineral, Ascoft, and iLka for their staff, but how much they will contribute is unclear, due in part to their nearly absent track record. Claims that their President of Gaming, HuK, tends to interfere, for better or for worse, also cloud the team’s future.

Despite their efforts, the rest of the League is also on an upward trend, leaving the Boston Uprising behind in 20th.

#19 Washington Justice

Hype, hype, hype. Is it justified? Not likely. The Washington Justice is another mixed bag. None of the players (save one) are below average, strictly speaking. They have a lot of name value in every role, but a small roster and a smaller pool of consistently great players. In particular, the tank line should be a big worry for fans, since it was only in Contenders, in a different meta, that any of the three looked top tier. Additionally, the coaching staff is relatively fresh, especially head coach JohnGalt.

They have a lot to live up to, lest they disappoint their many fans.

#18 Dallas Fuel

Most of the dead weight is gone, finally, but the team is still not looking too bright as a whole. The announcement of role lock in particular merits a significant drop down the ranks, given their doubling down on NotE and little change to their support line. Their DPS do look like something worthy of copious praise, finally, but most teams are not relying on inconsistent supports and a Roadhog/D.Va player as their sole starter on the role.

A shame, but the team does have potential. Is Aero up to the task?

#17 Los Angeles Valiant

What a confusing team. The Los Angeles Valiant has quite a few things in their favor, but a good amount against them as well. For starters, scrim rumors, the coaching staff, and certain players all appear to be positives. On the other hand, key roles in the meta such as off tank and main support, murmurs of budget cuts, and failed or questionable scouting decisions mean the team drops down to the 20th spot.

One thing is for certain, however. The team came out swinging for its first performance and more is definitely in store.

#16 London Spitfire

This team is another mixed bag of less known players paired with some of the more anticipated Contenders prospects. Having such a large team gives them a pass when considering some of the less proven players, unlike the past three teams (and some above them). Yes, some players didn’t look great in T1 or T3, but they can just be benched for others that were some of the best in the same tournaments.

This definitely is the trickiest team to accurately judge their power level, especially with the mixed opinions in terms of their coaching staff. Holding their own against New York is no easy task, however.

#15 Paris Eternal

The Parisian’s debut was definitely a disappointment in general, but there is still hope. Xzi and FDGoD are monsters, and everyone else showed flashes of brilliance. And that is without considering Sp9rk1e, Hanbin or SoOn. They certainly have a lot of room to grow, more so as their full roster is unlocked.

Their second day was certainly much more spectacular, especially the way that they can adapt to an incomplete team.

#14 Toronto Defiant

Another team with a lot of fans behind them, the Toronto Defiant has a lot to prove, especially their coaching staff and tank players. Some of their offseason decisions are worrying, but others are bound to pay off. Their backline is stable, their DPS are arguably meta dependent, but explosive, and their tanks have a big task in front of them.

There is a lot to be desired from the team, but with any luck, they can exceed expectations. They certainly have the tools to do so.

#13 Houston Outlaws

If there ever was a recipe for success that could end in disaster, Houston embodies that perfectly. They have a lot of solid players, but they also are not perfect players. Inconsistency and inflexibility plague the team, but players such as Hydration, Danteh, Blasé, and Jecse help balance this out.

One thing is for certain, though. Their fans will definitely not miss being the second (or third) fiddle North American team.

#12 Florida Mayhem

Florida is actually the first team that no player really puts the rest of the team down, subs included. Yes, Kris, Byrem, and BQB are not great, but they all fit well into the team and are solid in their own right. The rest of the team is just… pleasing, and not just because of the new color scheme. There is an understanding of what a team needs from its players, there is no dead weight, and the staff looks great as well.

Can this team work as well as they appear on paper? Can they exceed expectations?

#11 Chengdu Hunters

Ah, Chengdu. Everyone loves you, due to, and in spite of, your quirky specialist-based compositions. That could very well be in the past, of course, with their new and improved roster. That said, Elsa is their weakest starter, so it’s almost surprising to see how the other teams stack up and surpass them.

Here’s to all the Ameng and Jinmu shenanigans that the Sichuan team has in store.

#10 Los Angeles Gladiators

To say the beginning of the Gladiators offseason was worrying is putting the feeling very lightly. Losing so many stars in such a short time is bound to make a fan here and there faint. But what a way to bounce back from that. Hype DPS players, hype tanks, and the classic Finnish duo? What’s not to like?

(A day one loss against your former star main tank, of course, but that can be ignored after a bottle or two).

#9 Hangzhou Spark

Looking at this team it is almost incredible to know that the rumors point to a flop, at least against the Asian teams. Fourth place finishers with a star-studded roster and two of the best Chinese players called up. It’s all just talk, right? Maybe their relative complacency was not the best call, after all. GodsB and Guxue better watch their spines if murmurs are to be believed because the season will be long and tough.

This would be one of the most disappointing teams to see fail, but they still have the great players from last year’s run, at least.

#8 Guangzhou Charge

Guangzhou was the first-ever T1 team to feature players from China and Korea alongside American and European players, and their 2019 was just as interesting. Now, they upgraded every role possible save for main tank, but Rio is not a player that will cost you games. Newcomers NeptuNo and Cr0ng are probably some of the more exciting aspects of the new team, a difficult task when you look at the rest of the players.

Their Season 3 goals should definitely be set high because this team has the ability to meet them.

#7 Shanghai Dragons

2-2-2 lock threw a wrench into the late season for the team, but those worries are over. The new Dragons finally have redundancy and flexibility in their DPS, and their tank line looks arguably better than before, despite losing Gamsu. Izayaki and Leejaegon will give some new life to their backline, and will probably be dark horses in terms of support duos this year.

The team can finally leave the 2018 and late 2019 disasters in the past.

#6 Seoul Dynasty

Seoul is definitely not without its faults, but the team is definitely great on paper. A very weird offseason and a very weird scouting track record is clouded by their acquisitions and scouting successes. Yes, this is the team that pursued ILLICIT for so long, the team that started XepheR fairly often, the team that killed Lunatic-Hai. It is also the team that got Profit, the next big thing in terms of DPS with Fits, and their Academy scouting brought a lot of new blood to the scene.

Watch out for this team, especially when they inevitably make the playoffs.

#5 Philadelphia Fusion

The Fusion look real scary coming into the 2020 season, boasting one of the best support and DPS lines in the League. They also have exceptional tanks and coaches, but their highlights are definitely the aforementioned supports and DPS. The one question mark remains: is Sado up to the task?

The fans can only hope the decision to keep him as the sole main tank is the right call.

#4 Vancouver Titans

Hands down, Vancouver is one of the best teams and a repeat of its 2019 record will not be unexpected. Despite its upgraded tank line, however, they arguably have the worst DPS duo among the top teams. Stitch and Seominsoo hold their own, without a doubt, but are nowhere near the level of other players or even their partner, Haksal. A lack of depth in general definitely hurts them as well.

Maybe midseason pickups or an Academy team will help them, but neither is urgent by any means.

#3 Atlanta Reign

The Atlanta Reign for next season does not look that much different from last year’s team, but the improvements are obvious. The addition of Edison and Hawk, in particular, gives their fans a lot to look forward to. Having a full twelve-man roster is a huge bonus for their practice. The fact that any of the twelve is starter quality is just the cherry on top.

They were so close to greatness last year, but 2020 is definitely theirs for the taking.

#2 New York Excelsior

Doomed to eternity at the top (but not #1) of every power ranking, New York brings a bold new look this season. Aggressiveness was not their signature style, but HOTBA and WhoRU allow the team to go all out. Of course, the team still has some of the best players to ever touch the game in JJoNaK and Mano, but the change in philosophy is a much-needed one.

2020 holds a lot of promise for them, but how much longer can they keep hearing the same thing?

#1 San Francisco Shock

Of course, the Shock are number one. Unlike the previous champions, London Spitfire, the team did not have an inconsistent season that culminated in a perfect playoffs meta. Well, the latter did happen, because it seems like any meta is perfect for this team. But all of 2019 was the Shock slapping teams around, persevering through the one or two bumps in the journey.

Find me on Twitter (@Thoth_OW) on Reddit (u/Jcbarona23), or on Discord (Thoth#7858) for any questions, suggestions, or further discussion.

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