After three weeks of Overwatch, we are finally beginning to get a good sense of where these teams stack up. Four teams have managed to begin the season 3-0 and have separated themselves from the rest of the pack in terms of overall power ranking. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are also four teams that have yet to get a win. This leaves the middle of the table full of teams looking to prove themselves as being amongst the best. Let’s see which teams made moves in this week’s NA Contenders Power Rankings.
Undisputed Top Four
1. XL2 Academy: 3-0 (No change)
Week 1 Result: 3-1 Victory over Team Envy
Week 2 Result: 4-0 Victory over NRG Esports
Week 3 Result: 4-0 Victory over Skyfoxes
This week was business as usual for XL2 as they swept a rebuilt Skyfoxes roster. This one was not supposed to be close and it certainly wasn’t. With their previous victories in consideration and their performance this week, XL2 retain the top spot in the rankings.
This was a game of DVa self-destructs! However, it was @WOOHYAL with the massive pentakill bomb that won out and XL2 take a 3-0 lead after Hanamura. They will be looking to wrap it up in a 4-0 on Route 66. pic.twitter.com/W8FWXo50Lv
— Path to Pro Community (@Contenders_OW) December 13, 2018
An argument could certainly be made for ATL to have this top spot. These two teams have emerged as the clear leaders of the pack this season, dismantling every team they match up against. XL2 will have a chance to prove they belong at the top of the table as they face up against Second Wind in what is sure to be an incredible matchup. This is the game of the year so far in NA Contenders. You won’t want to miss it.
2. ATL Academy: 3-0 (No change)
Week 1 Result: 3-1 Victory over Mayhem Academy
Week 2 Result: 4-0 Victory over Uprising Academy
Week 3 Result: 4-0 Victory over Kungarna
The other team to get a sweep over an underperforming team this week, ATL Academy just keeps on rolling. As a reminder, this team has only dropped one map in the entirety of the season so far to Mayhem Academy. This puts them right on par with their neighbor at the top of the table, XL2.
The one thing that keeps ATL from the number one spot is their strength of schedule. While XL2 has swept NRG, ATL’s best win is against a questionable Uprising Academy team. That all changes this week as they face off against First Generation. Both ATL and XL2 have stiff matchups this week. Each will get their chance to prove why they belong in the playoffs and, eventually, in the finals at the season’s end.
3. Fusion University: 3-0 (No change)
Week 1 Result: 3-2 Victory over Uprising Academy
Week 2 Result: 3-1 Victory over Kungarna
Week 3 Result: 2-1 Victory over First Generation
Last week’s match against First Gen lived up to the hype as the match of the week. While only winning by a very narrow 2-1 margin, FU proved that they are to be considered as one of the best.
This team has still struggled to really dominate their opponent so far this season. Next week, they’re up against a Mayhem Academy team that has sorely underperformed thus far. If Fusion University wants to keep their place at the top, they are going to need a 4-0 this week. Each of their surrounding teams on the table plays one another, so they’ll need to do something to stand out.
4. Second Wind: 3-0 (No change)
Week 1 Result: 3-2 Victory over Gladiators Legion
Week 2 Result: 4-0 Victory over Skyfoxes
Week 3 Result: 3-1 Victory over Team Envy
Their week 1 victory had the world cheering for Second Wind this season, and they have only kept performing better and better each week. Their 3-1 win over Envy last week, while it may be overlooked, is a very good win. This team is continuing to prove week-in-and-week-out that they can hang with the best players in the scene and produce quality wins.
We take a 3-1 win over @Envy! Really close games, GGS #WeBlowSoHard pic.twitter.com/z43x3vq9AU
— Second Wind (@SecondWindGG) December 13, 2018
That will be put to the test this week. If Second Wind can top XL2 there will be no room left to wonder whether this team is for real or not. It will propel these players and this staff to greater heights and give this team the recognition they deserve. And hey, if they lose, at least they lost to the best. As long as they don’t get swept, no one will fault this team for it, either.
The Best of the Rest
5. First Generation: 2-1 (No change)
Week 1 Result: 3-1 Victory over Kungarna
Week 2 Result: 4-0 Victory over Mayhem Academy
Week 3 Result: 1-2 Defeat by Fusion University
There seems to be a clear divide of the top teams in the league and First Gen is the first team on the outside looking in. They had their shot last week against Fusion Universtiy but couldn’t quite pull off the victory. Because they kept it close against a great team, they do not move down in the rankings after the loss.
It will be tough for them to bounce back, as they face off against ATL Academy this week. This match has similar ramifications as Second Wind vs XL2, pitting a top team against a team that is looking to prove themselves. While First Gen is a team with promise, they may be in for their first losing streak of the season beginning on Tuesday. If their match against FU is any sort of indicator, expect this one to be exciting but eventually going over to ATL.
6. NRG Esports: 2-1 (+1)
Week 1 Result: 4-0 Victory over Skyfoxes
Week 2 Result: 0-4 Defeat by XL2 Academy
Week 3 Result: 2-1 Victory over Gladiators Legion
NRG has been consistently difficult to rank due to their drastic changes in performance each week. After getting embarrassed just a week prior, this team looked very strong against Gladiators Legion in their 2-1 victory last week. Of all the team’s in the league that aren’t on our radar, NRG may be best of them all.
This week they face up against another difficult to rank team in Envy. Envy will be absolutely desperate for a win, while NRG will be vying for a playoff spot. In the end, unless Envy has had some drastic change in compatibility this week, expect NRG to take it.
7. Gladiators Legion: 1-2 (-1)
Week 1 Result: 2-3 Defeat by Second Wind
Week 2 Result: 2-1 Victory over Team Envy
Week 3 Result: 1-2 Defeat by NRG Esports
A picture of an average team this year is Gladiators Legion. They get edged by a good Second Win team in week 1, beat a dismal Envy team by a close-margin in week 2, and then lose to an equally average NRG team in week 3. Through all of this, the Legion has had micro-flashes of being a good team, certainly with good parts, but without much consistency.
G PogChamp D S pic.twitter.com/fazJ6bKNLn
— Gladiators Legion (@GLALegion) December 13, 2018
Luckily for them, they get the rebuilt Skyfoxes team this week. Being essentially three weeks behind on scrim time, it would be shocking if the Skyfoxes are able to keep this one close. Expect the Legion to get one game closer to playoff eligibility this week. If not, sound the panic sirens in LA.
Botched Talent
8. Uprising Academy: 1-2 (+1)
Week 1 Result: 2-3 Defeat by Fusion University
Week 2 Result: 0-4 Defeat by ATL Academy
Week 3 Result: 3-2 Victory over Mayhem Academy
While the previous three teams represent solid mid-table talent who can contend with better teams, these next two teams represent lower-tier talent with great rosters. Both Uprising Academy and Team Envy have rosters that would make you think that they were among the top team’s in the league, but each has struggled to string together wins.
However, Uprising Academy did manage to defeat Mayhem Academy in a five-game set last week and have a great chance to extend their run this week against Kungarna. This momentum might just be enough to turn the season around for the Uprising.
9. Team Envy: 0-3 (-1)
Week 1 Result: 1-3 Defeat by XL2 Academy
Week 2 Result: 1-2 Defeat by Gladiators Legion
Week 3 Result: 1-3 Defeat by Second Wind
Team Envy, while having easily the toughest strength of schedule this season, has struggled to look as good as they should have. Playing XL2, Legion, and Second Wind would have been tough on most teams in the league, regardless, a 0-3 start for a team with this level of talent is nothing short of disappointing.
A nice tire from @fischerable as we take Horizon Lunar Colony and move to 1-2 in the series vs @SecondWindGG.
Looking to push the series the distance next: https://t.co/eMg5xWCRxO pic.twitter.com/Kpj8Fogy2W
— Team Envy (@Envy) December 13, 2018
Things don’t get a whole lot easier this week as they go up against a tough NRG Esports squad. If they go 0-4 after this one, their final match against the Skyfoxes won’t mean much. On the other hand, if they can string these two wins together they can have something to hang their hats on to close out the year.
Better Luck Next Year
10. Mayhem Academy: 0-3 (No change)
Week 1 Result: 1-3 Defeat by ATL Academy
Week 2 Result: 0-4 Defeat by First Generation
Week 3 Result: 2-3 Defeat by Uprising Academy
These next three teams are simply in the category of “Better Luck Next Year.” Each has attempted to put together rosters to contend with the rest of the league with no avail. For this team, the philosophy was to bring in players with OWL experience to help the team have success. However, it seems that there is a reason that those players were cut from their OWL teams and are perhaps approaching the end of their competitive play.
Pending an end of the season run that proves these this author wrong, one would hope that this team goes for something different next season. They’ll get a shot at that run against a FU team that has looked anything but beatable, especially by the likes of this Mayhem roster.
11. Kungarna: 0-3 (No change)
Week 1 Result: 1-3 Defeat by First Generation
Week 2 Result: 1-3 Defeat by Fusion University
Week 3 Result: 0-4 Defeat by ATL Academy
It’s hard to say much about this Kungarna roster other than “Oof.” The one thing I can give this team is a pretty tough strength of schedule. They’ve played teams that all rank in the top five in the power rankings, so their chances for success were relatively low. In whatever case, it seems that the addition of Michael “mykL” Padilla was not the good leak luck charm that this team was hoping for.
Perhaps the only bright side for this team is that it can’t get worse from here. They face Uprising Academy and Mayhem Academy to close out the season, both of whom they have potential to either beat or have a close match with. Regardless of each team’s overall fortunes, don’t miss these matches at the lower end of the table if you like watching competitive Overwatch.
12. Skyfoxes: 0-3 (No change)
Week 1 Result: 0-4 Defeat by NRG Esports
Week 2 Result: 0-4 Defeat by Second Wind
Week 3 Result: 0-4 Defeat by XL2 Academy
It seems that the Skyfoxes experiment, at least as it was previously, has finally come to a close. The foxes came out with an almost entirely new roster against XL2 that we have to assume have not had much time to play together. With these changes made, perhaps this team can turn things around to close out the season. Yet, with only two weeks remaining, this seems like a move that is geared more towards preparing for next season. Maybe next year, Skyfoxes.
To catch up on previous weeks Power Rankings you can click on any one of the following links:
Preseason Power Rankings
Week 1 Power Rankings
Week 2 Power Rankings
NA Contenders is back on Tuesday, December 18th with a full two days of great matchups. You can watch NA Contenders on the Contenders Twitch channel and can continue to keep up with each week’s Power Rankings here, at The Game Haus.
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