With a break from competitive Overwatch and the World Cup going on at BlizzCon, I thought it would be a good time to highlight the best teams in the world in my personal top 10. Following the format of Thorin’s CS:GO rankings, this list aims to capture a picture of the past three months in competitive Overwatch.

The major factors that contribute to my rankings are performances at LANs over the last three months. While predictions about the team moving forward will be factored, these rankings are not intended to be predictive; rather, they look to establish a hierarchy based on performance. Online results will be taken into account — such as victories in the Alienware Monthly Melee or qualifiers for LANs — but they will not be weighted as much as LANs due to the variability inherent in online play.

1. Rogue (aKm, KnOxXx, Reinforce, TviQ, uNKOE, winz)

Photo credit: Turner Sports/ELEAGUE

Recent placings:

1st — Atlantic Showdown

3rd-4th — Overwatch Open

1st — APAC Premier

First place finishes at the Atlantic Showdown and APAC Premier solidify Rogue’s hold over “best team in the world,” and having world class players across the board can only benefit the team. While the 3rd-4th place finish at the Overwatch Open sticks out like a sore thumb, we have to consider that Rogue had the objectively harder side of the bracket in order to make it to the finals. A close 3–2 loss to Misfits is nothing to be ashamed of, though it will obviously instill doubt in some.

The most underrated aspect of Rogue is their ability to adapt. Rogue lost to REUNITED at gamescom before taking home a solid victory in the finals; likewise, Rogue took two losses by the hands of Lunatic-Hai before coming back with a 4–1 in APAC Premier. Even without a coach, the team is very smart in adapting outside of the game, and they have the ability to completely stifle other top teams. The loss to Misfits will certainly haunt them, but Rogue has the opportunity to get their revenge when they return to Europe after OGN’s APEX. In the meantime, Rogue can focus on a victory in Korea, which would further their legacy for years to come.

Note: You can read more about my thoughts on Rogue here.

2. Misfits (Hidan, Kryw, Nevix, skipjack, SoOn, Zebbosai)

Photo credit: Turner Sports

Recent placings:

5th-6th — Atlantic Showdown

1st — Overwatch Open

2nd — DreamHack Winter European Qualifier

The beauty of Misfits is in their ridiculous versatility. Nevix, SoOn, and Kryw all showed flexibility in their picks at the Overwatch Open, switching between Reaper, Zarya, and McCree on many occasions. One of the most important things to note is that the entire Overwatch Open metagame revolved around Reaper receiving a Nano Boost, meaning that despite different players using Reaper at different points, the team still managed to be effective.

Despite a lackluster performance at gamesom in Cologne, where Misfits lost two matches to Fnatic and failed to make top 4, the team clearly improved by the time the Overwatch Open rolled around. Of course, Misfits notably used a different roster at the Overwatch Open, with Hidan and ryb on the team and Nevix moved to DPS. Misfits lost to Rogue early on but found their footing by coming back and defeating them in the European finals. Wins against EnVyUs and Rogue, as well as the surging Ninjas in Pyjamas, cement Misfits as a fixture in the top two of the world rankings.

One of the biggest shames in the next few months is that Misfits will not get to play against the elite teams in the world until at least January. EnVyUs, Rogue, and Lunatic-Hai will all be competing in OGN’s APEX in Korea, meaning Misfits only demonstrated their form in a single offline tournament. However, Misfits’s online results seem to indicate that their team truly can compete for number one.

3. Lunatic-Hai (dean, EscA, Leetaejun, Miro, Ryujehong, tobi)

Photo credit: TGBUS

Recent placings:

2nd — Overwatch Power League — Preseason

2nd — APAC Premier

While Lunatic-Hai has not shown too much to the western world, their skill is undeniable. They took down Rogue twice during the group stages of APAC Premier; while both sets included Rogue’s notoriously hated Route 66, a victory in and of itself is still impressive. Additionally, Lunatic-Hai breezed through the playoffs of the tournament and took down NRG before falling prey to an improved Rogue squad. While the 1–4 loss is certainly rather rough, taking 2nd at APAC was enough to showcase Korea’s might.

Lunatic-Hai’s rampage did not stop at just APAC, though. Their performance against EnVyUs stunned the western world once more, as they delivered a solid 3–1 and outclassed EnVyUs’s team-play. With a record against western teams of 4–1 — the single loss being the APAC Premier finals — Lunatic-Hai looks more than ready to tear up the world of Overwatch. The only question that remains is whether the team can make it through the playoffs of a tournament without another massive breakdown, and APEX should answer that.

4. EnVyUs (chipshajen, cocco, HarryHook, InternetHulk, Taimou, Talespin)

Photo credit: Turner Sports

Recent placings:

3rd-4th — Atlantic Showdown

2nd — Overwatch Open

EnVyUs is an incredibly difficult team to judge. Their 57 game online winstreak made the entire community certain of their dominance, but they fell to Rogue at gamescom and had to live with a 3rd-4th place finish. Still, many attributed the finish to LAN jitters and believed in the team come ELEAGUE and FACEIT’s Overwatch Open. With Rogue falling out of the tournament by Misfits’s hands, EnVyUs was assured a trophy to cement their legacy — or so everybody thought. Misfits ended up demolishing EnVyUs on national television, playing the “Beyblade” composition to perfection.

EnVyUs defeated Mighty Storm and CONBOX T6 rather solidly in APEX, but a 1–3 drubbing at the hands of Lunatic-Hai instilled further doubt in their hold over the top of the scene. While two tournaments is too little to establish a label of “chokers,” EnVyUs’s six players are in control of their own destiny. They will need a trophy to cement their legacy, or their 57 game winstreak will be forgotten in time, chalked up to their decision to play in North America against weaker competition.

Despite all the negativity, EnVyUs is clearly the best American team (located in North America; I understand they have five European players) and definitely can compete with top competition. Their loss to Rogue at gamescom came down to 8 HP on a Zarya — Overwatch doesn’t get much closer than that. However, EnVyUs needs a trophy to their name before they can claim that they are the best team in the world, and for that, they find themselves at 4th on my rankings.

5. Fnatic (buds, coolmatt69, custa, iddqd, Stoop, Vonethil)

Photo credit: Turner Sports

Recent placings:

3rd-4th — Atlantic Showdown

3rd-4th — Overwatch Open

1st — DreamHack Winter North American Qualifier

Immediately after its formation, Fnatic’s roster became a fixture in the top of the North American scene. Despite an early loss to Cloud9, the team later became known for its consistency; in fact, their only losses at LAN events came at the hands of REUNITED and EnVyUs — both 3–1s. REUNITED of course took 2nd at gamescom, while EnVyUs took 2nd in Atlanta. Losses to two straight finalists are not particularly alarming, and Fnatic managed to steamroll its way through the DreamHack Winter North American Qualifier without so much as a hiccup.

The loss of iddqd, likely the team’s best player, does not bode well for Fnatic’s short-term future success. Fnatic likely has the tools necessary to do well at their disposal, but the team will need to find another DPS player of iddqd’s caliber. The problem, of course, is that very few players of his skill level exist. Still, with enough time and practice, the team’s new member should be sufficient to plug the hole, but whether or not Fnatic will be in form for winter tournaments remains to be seen.

6. Ninjas in Pyjamas (Fragi, hymzi, kynnel, mafu, zappis, Zuppehw)

Photo credit: Turner Sports

Recent placings:

5th-8th — Overwatch Open

1st — DreamHack Winter European Qualifier

1st — MGA European Regional

Ninjas in Pyjamas have a reputation as one of the most incredible teams online, but they were unable to transition that success to their play in the Overwatch Open. While they took down both REUNITED and Dignitas to qualify for the European playoffs, NiP fell 1–3 to the eventual champions, Misfits. While they did perform reasonably well, only attending one LAN makes it difficult to rank NiP. However, their results online continue to impress, as they defeated Misfits to take home 1st in the DreamHack Winter European Qualifier and defeated melty handily in the MGA European Regional finals.

The roster could realistically take off, but the lack of offline tournaments outside of DreamHack makes it quite difficult to gauge just how strong Ninjas in Pyjamas truly is. A strong showing in Sweden can justify a higher placement the next time world rankings come around, but the team will likely have to defeat Misfits and other top teams come tournament time to do so. For now, NiP stays at 6th for their considerable strength online.

7. FaZe (FCTFCTN, Forsak3n, Rawkus, ShaDowBurn, TwoEasy, zombs)

Photo credit: Turner Sports

Recent placings:

5th-8th — Overwatch Open

4th — Alienware Monthly Melee (October #1)

3rd — DreamHack Winter North American Qualifier

3rd-4th — MGA American Regional

1st — Alienware Monthly Melee (October #2)

FaZe is one of the more inconsistent teams in Overwatch, but when the team plays at peak performance it can keep up with every single roster. In the Overwatch Open qualifiers, FaZe took down Rogue 2–1 to take a first seed trip; likewise, FaZe has defeated both Dignitas and REUNITED. In total, three of the traditional “big four” of Europe have fallen to FaZe, who have shown the ability to completely stifle opponents off the back of ShaDowBurn and his trusted Genji.

As the team transitions to playing in North America, their online results have steadily improved. Within a single month, FaZe improved from 4th in the October Alienware Monthly Melee #1 to 1st in the next. While the team is likely disappointed in its inability to qualify for DreamHack Winter, losing to compLexity and Tempo Storm, FaZe certainly has the talent necessary for success. FCTFCTN is often praised as perhaps the best Reinhardt in the game, while zombs on Zarya is world class. FaZe have the opportunity to truly cement themselves as one of the best in North America over the next few months, especially with Fnatic and Cloud9’s roster swaps — there is no doubt that they will look to make the most of this opportunity.

8. REUNITED (Kruise, Kyb, Morte, uNFixed, vallutaja, Winghaven)

Photo credit: Turner Sports

Recent placings:

2nd — Atlantic Showdown

13th-16th — Overwatch Open

REUNITED can look like the worst best team and the best worst team — the dichotomy is apparent in the team’s placings at the last two LAN events. REUNITED played incredibly well in Cologne, even defeating Rogue in the group stage of the tournament before ultimately falling in the finals. In Atlanta, REUNITED lost to Ninjas in Pyjamas and FaZe to ultimately fall out of the tournament in an unfortunate matter. While they did take an incredibly low position of 13th-16th, the status of REUNITED’s opponents is important. There is no shame in falling to the 6th and 7th place teams in the power rankings.

REUNITED’s true form should be revealed in APEX. While the team no longer has Kyb, who was one of the best Genjis in the game, Onigod is a good player and should be able to fill in reasonably well. REUNITED did not get off to a promising start in their game against RunAway, but neither did Rogue or EnVyUs in their debut against Korean teams, so matches after BlizzCon will be an important period for REUNITED’s future.

9. Cloud9 (Adam, deBett, Grego, KyKy, Reaver, Surefour)

Photo credit: Turner Sports

Recent placings:

7th-8th — Atlantic Showdown

5th-8th — Overwatch Open

1st — Alienware Monthly Melee (October #1)

5th-6th — DreamHack Winter North American Qualifier

2nd — Alienware Monthly Melee (October #2)

Cloud9 managed to find a top 10 spot in the rankings, but the team cannot be content with how far down the list they placed. After ending April as the “kings of beta,” Cloud9 steadily declined. While the squad was once considered the second best team in the world, an abysmal finish at the Atlantic Showdown and an uninspiring performance at the Overwatch Open made it clear that the roster would not find its former glory if it continued to play together.

With deBett and Reaver likely leaving the professional scene to pursue their own careers and Grego’s choice to seek out a different team, Cloud9 has been in a period of disarray. Mendokusaii and ryb — two very talented players — have been playing on a trial basis with the team, but until an official roster settles down, Cloud9’s place in the future of competitive Overwatch is hard to ascertain. In theory, the roster should be very solid. Mendokusaii was once a top DPS player in the professional scene, and was the first western player to hit Grandmaster on the Season 2 ladder; likewise, ryb earned himself a title from a major for his performance in the Overwatch Open, where he subbed for skipjack. Roolf, one of the more solid players from Method, has been the most recent support to try out for the final roster spot.

The uncertainty in Cloud9’s roster manifests itself in the team’s placings. Cloud9 took home the first October Alienware Monthly Melee with their new roster (Wolf played support over Roolf), while they also performed well in the second, losing only to FaZe in the finals. However, between those two tournaments, Cloud9 placed only 5th-6th in the DreamHack Winter North American Qualifier, which lacked EnVyUs. While the Cloud9 roster certainly has the talent to place higher in the next rankings, whether they manage the teamwork necessary nowadays to do so is up in the air.

10. compLexity (harbleu, jkw, Joemeister, NicolasTJO, Shake, torkTJO)

Photo credit: compLexity Gaming

Recent placings:

5th-6th — Atlantic Showdown

2nd — Alienware Monthly Melee (October #1)

2nd — DreamHack Winter North American Qualifier

5th-8th — MGA American Regional

compLexity is a curious team due to their status as Cloud9’s kryptonite. For whatever reason, compLexity performs very well against the former kings of NA whenever the pair meets. The team went through a very bumpy period between taking 5th-6th at Atlantic Showdown and then failing to qualify for ELEAGUE’s Overwatch Open (losing to Method and Rise Nation). However, compLexity’s recent online results have them back in the upper echelons of NA.

compLexity took 2nd at the first October Alienware Monthly Melee, defeating FaZe and losing to Cloud9 in the finals. Additionally, they defeated both Cloud9 and FaZe in the DreamHack Winter qualifiers, even managing to take a map off of Fnatic. While they still do trade sets both Cloud9 and FaZe, being able to compete with these talented rosters is enough to instill confidence that compLexity has gotten over their losing ways.

Honorable mentions: NGA Club, NRG, RunAway

NGA Club could likely find itself in the top 10 (towards the bottom), but the lack of international exposure really hurts their chances. They took home a lot of minor Chinese tournament victories, but in their APAC Premier path stood Rogue, who held strong for an easy 3–0. While they placed 3rd-4th, their route through the playoffs was decidedly difficult — more data is necessary to accurately rank NGA.

NRG have clearly improved over the last few months, thanks in part to a bootcamp, but they still lose too many series to comfortably rank them within the top 10. The manner in which they lose is usually the biggest factor — Fnatic blew them out 3–0 at the Overwatch Open, while they lost to Team Liquid early in the same tournament. NRG put up a reasonable fight against Lunatic-Hai before falling out of the APAC Premier and finishing 3rd-4th, but they had a relatively easy bracket compared to Rogue and NGA Club. While they could potentially fit over compLexity, compLexity’s wins over FaZe and Cloud9 cemented its spot on the list.

RunAway had only one notable match to showcase their skills, but they looked incredibly solid during that match. Defeating REUNITED 3–0 with one of the most incredible Genji performances is nothing to scoff at. While the team seems capable of great things, not enough data exists to classify RunAway as a top 10 team in the world. Hopefully OGN APEX can showcase the team’s true strength; Haksal was impressive, but the team needs to prove that it’s more than a single player.