2019 League of Legends World Championship Team Power Ranking
Picture: Riot Games
The 2019 League of Legends World Championship is finally here. After two splits, a Mid-Season Invitational, and hundreds of games around the world, we’re power ranking the top 10 teams that will look to bring home the Summoners Cup.
1. Team Liquid
Beyond being one of the best western teams of all time, Team Liquid is the most adaptable team in the 2019 World Championship. No matter the meta, you can count on them to adjust and then break it — much to head coach Nuri „Cain“ Jang.
In a meta favoring AD carries, Team Liquid fields Bottom laner Yilliang „Doublelift“ Peng at the forefront of protect the ADC comps. Should the game deviate to the mid lane, it won’t.
Right now Team Liquid are at their strongest. Their game are fast and deadly. Teams have yet to find a weakness in their play and if they don’t hurry up, the North American first seed might just be lifting the trophy already.
— EJW
2. Fnatic
After last years failure, Fnatic is looking to redeem themselves at this years Worlds and finally bring home the Summoners Cup. With a clear mid lane upgrade in Tim „Nemesis“ Lipovšek, they might just have a decent shot at just that.
Although they fell off a bit compared to the spring split, they still managed to push G2 Esports to five games twice in the LEC playoffs, with Hylissangs ability to not int when it matters a key factor. Should Broxah remind Bwipo to look at the map once or twice, their odds of returning to the finals are much higher than currently outlined by most.
— EJW
3. Cloud9
While Cloud9 might not look like the strongest team coming into the World Championship, they do have one key factor on their side: the Twitter game. During the 2019 LCS playoffs Cloud9’s Twitter account went around cursing harder than my mom when she found my cigarettes in the drawer, which she had no right to even open in the first place. Imagine someone would go through your stuff, you’d be pissed as well, wouldn’t you? But even though I kept asking her to debate me on it, she just kept being mad at me. Hah, I’ve watched enough Ben Shapiro to know that that means that I have won. Amateur.
— EJW
4. Team Liquid
The team has some experienced members on the roster and they appear to be one of the better championship teams sent from North America, but as we’ve seen for countless years, being strong in North America is more of a big fish in a small pond than anything substantial on the international stage. Team Solo Mid has tried for years to make something happen in Groups and failed.
A successful tournament for Team Liquid would be to get out of groups and to the knock out stage. Even if they were to get wiped by any team in a series that lasts less than an hour, at least NA will have finally made progress on the international stage. More than likely, though, it’ll be a similar finish for a region starved for any kind of success.
— EJW
Provided by Riot
5. Invictus Gaming
Invictus Gaming has probably the best solo laners in the world, that is, if they are in form. The problem lies in the meta, which is clearly favoured towards the bottom lanes. And right there is where they have their weak spot, Invictus Gaming’s Yu „JackeyLove“ Wen-Bo has showed time and time again that he is not able to carry the team if Song „Rookie“ Eui-jin and Kang „TheShy“ Seung-lok don’t play to their best.
Invictus Gaming’s mechanical prowess should not be ignored. They are the reigning world champions. But a team that loses a best of 5 to Team Liquid cannot be taking seriously anymore and has lost all their dignity.
— EJW
6. Griffin
Last year’s disappointing performance from all three League Champions Korea teams — rivaling only the 2015 performance of all three League Pro teams in regional disappointment at worlds — occured without Griffin, who failed to qualify.
Griffin has pretty much always been praised as the best team in the LCK since the second they joined, but they also have always failed to show up when it matters. Why will it be different this time? It probably will not.
— EJW
7. Clutch Gaming
The team was meant to be built around star top laner Heo „Huni“ Seung-hoon or bottom laner Cody „Cody Sun“ Sun, but an unexpected team member has stepped up this season and has taken the region by storm. That’s right baby. It’s tanner time. He doesn’t care who you are. So you’re going by „Faker“ now, nerd? Whats up douchebag, it’s Tanner from highschool. Remember Huni the toplaner you had a crush on? Yea, they’re married now. He makes over 200k a year and drives a mustang GT. I guess some things never change lol. Pathetic.
— EJW
8. Gigabyte Marines
I’m gonna be honest with you: I don’t even know what their final roster looks like now, but remember that 5 Minute Nocturne ult? Yea, that was pretty badass. And guess who I do know is back on the team? It’s Levi yall, escaped from North American and Chinese elo hell, looking to slap some Phoenixes in the Group stage.
— EJW
9. Royal Never Give Up
Haven’t watched much LPL this year? Yea, me neither. But water is still wet, Worlds tickets still get botted and Uzi is still going to bring RNG to a Worlds title finally. Yea sure, I only believe it when I see it.
After being inches from upsetting G2Esports at last years Worlds, the team has brought in a new toplaner in Xie „Langx“ Zhen-Ying, but they could be bringing in fredy122, since they will ignore top lane anyway.
After all, RNG’s philosophy still is: When in doubt, funnel Uzi.
— EJW
Provided by Riot
10. Unicorns of Love
They have finally made it to Worlds. Unicorns of Love, built around star mid laner Tristan „PowerOfEvil“ Schrage and top laner Kiss „Vizicsacsi“ Tamás and lead by Fabian „Sheepy“ Mallant, UoL were competitive immediately, amassing a 12-2 regular season record through PowerOfEvil dominating mid play. They met Vega in the summer finals and edged them 3-2 after PowerOfEvil pulled Varus midlane out of his pocket to win Game 5.
Due to their rosters experience and draft versatility, UoL enter the play-in stage as the clear favourite. Expect UoL to make it out no problem and get slotted into a group, which they will most certainly destroy as well.
— EJW
