TGH Staff Writer, Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen, has partnered with Chase “Syphyt” McKenzie of Triumph Gaming and @Contenders_OW to put together the first-ever complete OWWC power rankings. These rankings will feature all 46 OWWC teams field and will include blurbs from various contributors across the competitive Overwatch scene. These contributors have a more in-depth knowledge of the team(s) they are covering and this is a great opportunity to spotlight that expertise.

Each team’s final rank was determined through a three-part process:

First, the number of professional (OWL) and semi-pro (Contenders, Trials, Open Division) players on each team was taken into account, as well as each of those players success on their respective team. Each contributor was given the chance to give their ranking of the team they wrote for. Those were taken into account, although each contributor’s potential bias was considered. The final landing spot for each team was decided collaboratively by Syphyt and GoopyKnoopy after using the steps above to narrow down the results.

Note: The previous rankings in this complete set can be found by clicking on the following links: #46-#30, #29-20.

19: New Zealand

A returning face to this year’s World Cup, Team New Zealand are happy to come back after their 2017 appearance. Notably missing from last year, this team of Kiwis looks to leave their mark on the rest of the world. With introductions to new players, and fronted by New Zealand’s own Kelsey “Colourhex” Birse, New Zealand are ready to fight, and to prove themselves.

Joining Colourhex are familiar faces, both from the Path to Pro Contenders scene, and the previous Team New Zealand team from 2017. In damage roles, Christopher “August9th” Norgrove and Dale “Signed” Tang join Birse. On tank, Jack “Joker” Wyles and Shilp “plihS” Naik with pair together. Initially, Joker put his name in the ring for an operations team role. However, a turn of fate has allowed him to play alongside his friends, and his Twitter suggests he’s over the moon for the chance to show his stuff. Lastly, on support, Oliver “Jungle” and Paul “Truth” van Hutten fill out the roster.

With so many names coming from the Australian Contenders scene, there’s a lot of raw talent for this team to work with. Teams like ORDER, Mindfreak, Warrior Esports, and the Melbourne Mavericks are all represented in this roster. Paired with Colourhex, an Overwatch League pro who has expressed his excitement to play in his first World Cup, this team shows a lot of promise for success. – Mallory “macklemallory” McMahon

18: Germany

Germany possesses two of the most memorable tank players in recent memory. Hadi Daniel “Hadi” Bleinagel, a recent acquisition for British Hurricane, is the main tank for the team. Strong leadership and a wealth of experience make him a perfect fit. On off-tank, Germany has the very popular Max “Moose” Kießling of Clockwork Vendetta. His impeccable hook accuracy will allow Germany to secure early picks in team fights. Backing up Moose is his Clockwork colleague Moritz “Engineer” Becker, the flex DPS for the team, along with “Phi” and “Rady” as the other two DPS. The team is rounded out by the backline of “illbethebest,” a `mechanically gifted flex support, and ‘Rephid’ on main support. Team Germany are a dark horse for this year and one of the most exciting teams for the upcoming tournament. – ReactionGamingEsports

17: Brazil

Team Brazil far exceeded expectations last year, placing 3rd in groups behind Canada and the USA. Expectations are even higher for 2019 as the core of the squad returns with a revamped tank and DPS line. This is the first OWWC for André “Txozin” Saidel of UP Gaming and Luiz “Ludwig” Motta of Lowkey Esports. Though new to the international stage, they’re no strangers to competitive Overwatch. In fact, five of the seven members of the team hail from Lowkey Esports, formerly Brasil Gaming House, the multi-season champions of Contenders South America. Brazil will be relying on this groundwork to bring the team together against some tough competition.

They’ll be headed by Team Brazil veterans Felipe “liko” Lebrao, Maurício “honorato” Honorato, Murillo “murizzz” Tuchtenhagen, and Renan “alemao” Moretto of the Boston Uprising. Though less well known internationally, the South American scene has become increasingly competitive as the parity between teams continues to rise. Brazilian teams play with an unmatched grit and passion that makes for some of the most entertaining Overwatch around. With veteran leadership at the helm and a never-say-die attitude, Team Brazil might just upend expectations once more, perhaps all the way to Blizzcon. – Evie “HamTornado” Feng

16: Norway

Team Norway will have a lot of familiar faces on their starting six this year. This will be the fourth year in a row that Stefan “Onigod” Fiskerstrand will be playing, alongside Jørgen “Decod” Myrlund and Usman “TracK” Mohammad. All three have been making names for themselves in the Contenders scene, but it is Norway’s support line that has everyone talking this year. A flex support player, simply known as “MeeeMyo” will be representing her home country for the first time. MeeeMyo is the first female player to participate in a World Cup event since Riley “Kitty” Frost, who played for Team France in 2016. Fans are excited to see what MeeeMyo, and the rest of the team, will bring to the table this year. – Kate “Sybil” Shepard

15: Portugal

Portugal boasts a highly experienced support line with Alexandre “Phatt” Silva on main support and Fabio “AFoxx” Veigas on flex support. These two worked together to secure a 1st place finish in Contenders 2019 Season 1 Europe on Angry Titans; the synergy they’ve built up over the last year will be invaluable for the team. In the DPS role, Portugal has Overwatch League star Luís “Greyy” Perestrelo of the Paris Eternal. While his main role is flex support, he’s displayed a strong Widowmaker at certain points, proving his hitscan ability. On flex DPS, Portugal will likely go with Henrique ‘Horthic’ Damião, previously of Meta Skyfoxes. Finally, Portugal has “Lemonada” on main tank and “atf” on off-tank. With considerable tier 2 and OWL experience, along with an established core from GrowUpEsports, Portugal is an intriguing prospect for the 2019 World Cup. – ReactionGamingEsports

14: Spain

Last year, Team Spain did not make it past the Bangkok Qualifiers. This year, they will be fielding a relatively unknown roster with two notable exceptions. Alberto “neptuNo” Gonzalez, known for his ruthless Mercy gameplay, will be taking on the role of DPS. After opting out last year for his heath, fans are incredibly excited to see how neptuNo will do on this role. As the best Battle Mercy in the league, one can only imagine the mayhem that neptuNo will bring to the battlefield. However, this role switch has some fans concerned about what this will mean for Spain’s support line.

NeptuNo is a great healer and is arguably better than Jonathan “Harryhook” Tejedor Eua. Despite Harryhook’s history within the Overwatch scene, he has faded into obscurity over the past year. Currently sitting on the Dallas Fuel’s bench, Harryhook hasn’t had many opportunities to show that he still has what it takes. This could be an excellent opportunity for Harryhook to prove his critics wrong and restore some glory to his name. With that in mind, Spain will definitely be a team that one should keep their eye on. – Kate “Sybil” Shepard

13: Netherlands

Could this be the year the Netherlands step out of the shadow of Europe’s more dominant countries? Boasting top talent from tier 2 such as Alex “A10” Kuipers, Thomas “brussen” Brussen and Jeffrey “Vizility” de Vries the Oranje are a team to be underestimated.

Do I expect this team to make top 4? No. But, there is no reason why they can’t show up big time and compete with some of the more established countries. The talent for this team is there and every player has tier 2 experience, which is only a good sign. If there was to be one sleeper pick in the EU region, it’s these guys. – Siarnaq

12: Australia

One of the favored teams in the World Cup lineup, Team Australia caused commotion early on with some key players missing from their starting lineup. Notably, the lack of Scott “Custa” Kennedy was something fans picked up on right away. However, in his absence are players both from the Contenders scene, as well as the Overwatch League. These shining stars are ready to prove themselves against the best of the best and are ready to show why Team Australia is more than deserving of the love they get.

Leading the charge on offensive roles are Jason “ieatuup” Ho and Felix “ckm” Murray. Previously, ieatuup was seen on Team CC, and ckm was a member of the Sydney Drop Bears, as well as a member of Team Australia in 2018. On tank, fans will recognize a new member of the Dallas Fuel. Ashley “Trill” Powell returns with his tank partner from last year, Uprising Academy’s Leyton “Punk” Gilchrist. Two new supports step into the limelight to round out the final seven. Giorgio “tongue” Lahdo of Warrior Esports will play alongside Max “Unter” Unterwurzacher, who currently plays for ORDER.

While fans could be upset due to a lack of familiar faces, this new team represents the next generation of Australian superstars. With strong players returning to several roles, and a new support line that’s sure to impress, Team Australia looks to reclaim their place among the top teams. Led by veteran coach of the Boston Uprising, Jordan “Gunba” Graham, Team Australia certainly has what it takes to compete among the best of the best. – Mallory “macklemallory” McMahon

11: Russia

Old Winstrike is back yet again, this time with an OWL player. Ilya “NLaaeR” Koppalov has shared much time on the Atlanta Reign roster this year with Andrej “babybay” Francisty but he’s definitely earned a spot on this year’s roster. With Stanislav “Mistakes” Danilov stepping up to the GM position, NLaaeR has a big opportunity this year for some incredible highlights on a team with tank and support synergy from last year. – Chase “Syphyt” McKenzie

The next few sets of rankings will be released over the course of the next two weeks. Stay tuned between now and then to see where your country finds itself in our rankings. Until then, check out our other Overwatch related content over at The Game Haus and find your country’s social media accounts on our comprehensive list.

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The Game Haus would like to thank all of the contributors for their time and effort towards putting this list together. We are so thankful for this amazing community of experts from all over the world!

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