The Overwatch League heads into its third season with plenty of changes throughout most of the league. Veterans hanging up their keyboards and fresh talent coming from all around the globe contribute to what should be an interesting season, to say the least. Until the games are played there is no way to actually know how everyone will perform for sure but on paper many of these teams have changed from where their end of season two rankings were. Without further adieu, here are the TGH Preseason Power Rankings.

They are being discussed live here!

(MPD= Map Differential, High is the highest an individual ranked the team, Low is the lowest an individual ranked them, and LW= Last Week’s Power Ranking Position)

1. San Francisco Shock (High: 1 Low: 2)

Not much of a surprise here, the defending champions find themselves atop the totem pole. Keeping their core intact while adding the deadly Seon-chang “ANS” Lee gives them even more versatility and depth within all roles. They proved through the 2019 season to be meta-resistant, and dominated their way through the playoffs. The only concern would be with how travel affects the team. But their flexibility, like having Dong-jun “Rascal” Kim able to play DPS and Support, should steady any concerns and foresee another strong season.

– Matthew “Setanta” Kennedy

2. New York Excelsior (High: 1 Low: 6)

The NYXL have been a permanent top tier team since the inception of the Overwatch league, and as such it should be no surprise to see them ranked second on this list. They have ensured equivalent exchange for the minimal roster moves they made over the offseason, and there is no reason to assume they will struggle with cohesion. Their previous record and a new coaching staff add to the confidence that this team will continue to dominate as a well-oiled veteran machine.

– Psyryn

3. Atlanta Reign (High: 2 Low: 9)

Last year, the Atlanta Reign were able to fly under the radar before a late-season hot streak propelled them to the playoffs. This time around they won’t be afforded that luxury. A busy offseason has lifted expectations sky-high, especially for the DPS line. Rookies Hugo “SharP” Sahlberg and Tae-Hoon “Edison” Kim join Andrej “babybay” Francisty and potential MVP pick Jun “ErsTer” Jeong to form one of the most formidable units in the league.

– Bradley Long

4. Shanghai Dragons (High: 2 Low: 13)

Now that the Dragons have slotted in a backup main tank, there is little to pick apart about the roster heading into 2020. Their DPS line is one of the scariest in the league and their supports aren’t much worse. This year may be the Year of the Rat, but I’d wager it’s really the Year of the Dragons.

– Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen

5. Philadelphia Fusion (High: 3 Low: 13)

While not a complete overhaul, the Philadelphia Fusion roster looks quite different from last season. Even though fans still aren’t happy about the lack of a new main tank, the Fusion have a solid roster going into the 2020 season. They are constantly labeled an underdog, a status Philly fans are very familiar with, and I think we’ll see that again this season.

– Jessica Scharnagle

6. Vancouver Titans (High: 2 Low: 11)

The Titans, while making some questionable moves in the offseason, bring back much of their elite talent from 2019. If they can overcome some potential personality issues and channel this team’s full potential, the Titan’s may just be back to the Grand Finals in 2020.

– Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen

7. Seoul Dynasty (High: 2 Low: 17)

Season 1 and 2 the Dynasty were eighth overall in the ranking. Yes, Seoul have lost a few of their players in Byungsun ‘Fleta’ Kim and Jehong ‘Ryujehong’ Ryu, but they have also gained the likes of Junyoung ‘Profit’ Park and Jaehui ‘Gesture’ Hong. Seventh place makes sense for the pre-season rankings. The team, though they have good components, are still unproven on the League stage, but the potential is overflowing. In weeks to come hopefully the black and gold can rise up even higher in the ranks.

– Lauren “Daebakowl” Olsen

8. Los Angeles Gladiators (High: 3 Low: 16)

Out of any team with a full roster overhaul, the Gladiators look to be one of the best. Keeping the insane support line of Benjamin “BigGoose” Isohanni and Jonas “Shaz” Suovaara, and adding players from no fewer than five other Overwatch League teams, the Gladiators are attempting to create a super roster from the best of the league. While this team will have growing pains and may struggle to find their identity at first, the resources are present in players, staff, and org. This team could absolutely rise to the top if they learn to cooperate quickly.

– Ethan “Brunestor” Seftor

9. Guangzhou Charge (High: 4 Low: 15)

Guangzhou had a surprisingly quiet offseason after their candidacy as a dark horse team in the 2019 playoffs, and this prevents them from shooting too high up the rankings given how other teams have improved. However, the Charge have also stuck with what they know best. They picked up Nam “Cr0ng” Ki-cheol to replace Hongjun “HOTBA” Choi, and two backup supports as well, and just added Xiao “creed” Yan to their coaching staff. This squad may be a band of many identities, but they’ve grown over the last year both as a formidable roster and as a family. That unity could potentially take them extremely far in the 2020 season.

– Ethan “Brunestor” Seftor

10. Washington Justice (High: 6 Low: 18)

Ranked by many as a middle-of-the-road team, the Justice come into 2020 after a polarizing 2019 season. But, after going 6-1 in Stage 4 and adding some solid players, the sky may just be the limit for the team with the easiest travel itinerary in Season 3. They’re definitely a team to watch.

– Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen

11. Houston Outlaws (High: 6 Low: 18)

After two seasons of sticking to what they knew best, the Outlaws have finally decided to shake things up. On paper, the changes all look great: a powerhouse flex tank, an upgraded support line, not one but two strong replacements for their retiring star DPS and an expanded coaching staff with better structural support. But the devil will be in the details for 2020. Houston’s problems last year were more about adaptation and execution than skill. If new leadership can keep that from happening again, this lineup definitely has the raw talent to make a playoff run.

– Rainee “Jezi” Scott

12. Hangzhou Spark (High: 8 Low: 16)

People seem to forget that the Hangzhou Spark ended last season at 4th in the regular-season standings. This team did little to improve in the offseason heading into 2020, fancying their chances for a successful run-back in 2020. Because of this and the immense talent that other top teams have brought in, the general consensus among analysts is that this team will do worse in 2020, as indicated here by our 12th place ranking. The top-tier tank line of Xu “guxue” Qiulin and Seong-Wook “Ria” Park will attempt to quell the doubters in the Spark’s 2020 campaign.

– Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen

13. Chengdu Hunters (High: 7 Low: 17)

The most important change the Chengdu Hunters made this off-season was adding DPS player Huang “leave” Xin, to their lineup. Leave is an upgrade in the DPS department, but how much of a difference can one player have? The Hunters, unfortunately, are likely the weakest team in the Pacific East division. Despite the changes they have made, they are likely to end up in the same position they were last season.

– Violet McHale

14. Toronto Defiant (High: 7 Low: 19)

The Defiant are coming into the 2020 season with a completely new player roster and coaching staff. Unlike last year, however, the team now is composed of league favorites like Lane “Surefour” Roberts and Young-seo “KariV” Park. Coach Félix “Féfé” Münch will have to overcome resetting the team culture in a more positive direction along with dealing with a difficult travel schedule. Time will tell if the Defiant can defy everyone’s expectations.

– Brad Killion

15. Florida Mayhem (High: 9 Low: 17)

This is the year that the Mayhem finally push for a play-ins spot. They have trimmed most of the fat off of their roster and managed to sign two potential superstars in Kim “Yaki” Jun-ki and Gang “Gangnamjin” Nam-jin from RunAway. The issue is that mostly every other team has also upgraded their roster for this season, so are Florida’s two pickups enough to change a losing team’s ethos? In these power rankings the team has been placed at fifteenth, a tentative estimate for a team that has the potential to place much higher.

– Sam O’Dwyer

16. Paris Eternal (High: 10 Low: 19)

Paris saw poor results during their first season which led analysts and fans to continuously question their coaches’ decisions. They made an unexpected move in the offseason by releasing several players, including fan-favorite Georgii “ShaDowBurn” Gushcha and replacing them with several members of KR Contender’s champions, Element Mystic. Despite the incredibly gifted signings, people are concerned about potential language barriers, as well as, how long the team has to wait to actually play underaged DPS star Yeong-Han “Sp9rk1e” Kim. Another concern for most is the inconsistency of returning players like Benjamin “BenBest” Dieulafait and Nicolas “NiCOgdh” Moret which is why the Eternal land at an unfavorable position.

– Mandii Kennedy

17. Dallas Fuel (High: 8 Low: 18)

Dallas has never been a team to slave themselves to the meta. However, the key to success with unconventional tactics is ironclad teamwork and synergy. With the offseason changes to their roster, Dallas is particularly banking on Gamsu and Decay to not only synergize with their existing roster, but to provide leadership in-game where Fuel has been lacking. The Dallas Fuel desperately need such a change if they hope to have a spot in the playoffs this season.

– London Bishop

18. London Spitfire (High: 8 Low: 19)

The London Spitfire have their fair share of doubters coming into 2020. The newly retooled team will have to establish synergy while also handling one of the league’s worst travel itineraries. It will be to the surprise of many if the Spitfire make the season playoffs in 2020.

– Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen

19. Los Angeles Valiant (High: 17 Low: 20)

It’s hard to sugarcoat how tough this offseason looked for the newly recolored Valiant. They lost some veteran talent, their star off-tank and replaced the missing pieces with an assortment of Contenders talent. While things could certainly turn around for this team, the preseason perception is certainly bleak.

– Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen

20. Boston Uprising (High: 19 Low: 20)

For the second season in a row, the Boston Uprising have signed an almost completely new roster. And as is tradition, the roster contains plenty of new faces and a few unknown talents in hopes of finding the next hidden gem. With a new coaching staff to boot, it’ll be a huge uphill battle for Boston to shine this time around.

– Bryan Rockwood

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Our voters for OWL Power Rankings: Brad Long, Kate Sheppard, Ethan Seftor, Mallory, Robert Hanes, Connor Knudsen, Dalton Jewell, Lotte, Sam O’Dwyer, Bryan Rockwood, Brad Killion, Seneca, Jess, Thoth, Gabby, Mandii, Rhiannon, Daebakowl, Matthew Kennedy