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-#11.
10: Iceland
It’s been three years since Team Iceland last competed in the World Cup. Only Finnbjörn “Finnsi” Jónasson and Hafþór “Hafficool” Hákonarson will be making a reappearance from the 2016 roster. Finnsi currently plays for the Paris Eternal and while Paris has had a rough season, Finnsi has always been one of the more consistent players. He’s an excellent off-tank, and his D.Va gameplay has been one of the bright spots in the Eternal’s streaky season. His experience in the league will be an excellent benefit for the team, as will Hafficool’s experience in Contenders. After making a name for himself playing for British Hurricane, Hafficool now plays for Team Envy, who has looked incredible in NA this season.
Led by Hafficool and Finnsi’s veteran leadership, it will be interesting to see what other hidden talents have yet to emerge from Iceland. – Kate “Sybil” Shepard
Say hello to the team who will represent Iceland in this years Overwatch World Cup #iceclap 🇮🇸
⚔️DPS: @Hafficool @SnorrLaxZ @SindriMrGunnar1
🛡️Tank: @FinnsiOW @Steelcrusher23
💉Support: @futhark_OW @KristoferNumi
📽️Edited by: @blitzetcx https://t.co/Ve8G4F2d5F
— Team Iceland (@IcelandOW) August 2, 2019
9: Denmark
Denmark has one of the most dangerous DPS trios of all the teams in the field, with former Envy DPS Mads “Fischer” Jehg headlining that role. At support, Denmark has OWL leadership and experience with Kristian “Kellex” Keller at main support and a promising Victor “Scaler” Godsk at flex support. On top of all that, the Danes boast a tank line with plenty of EU Contenders experience and one that has good synergy between members of HSL Esports. All in all, Denmark should be a team on everyone’s radar heading into the World Cup. #SmallCountryBigPlays – Connor “GoopyKnoopy” Knudsen
8: Sweden
How can you stand up versus the Swedish powerhouses that are Elliot “ELLIVOTE” Vaneryd and Lukas “LullSiSH” Wiklund? Ha, don’t make me laugh, have you seen how tall and jacked they are? Also, not sure if I mentioned but they brought their cool and sophisticated support players from out of town, Gustav “Gustav” Garpenståhl and Andreas “Epzz” Vallvingskog.
Haven’t heard of them? I shouldn’t be shocked, they play on the most hippest of teams in the most exclusive leagues out there. And how could I forget Simon “snillo” Ekström, Erik “Erki” Nolander and Rat? Be careful what you say about these DPS players, they know powerful people in high places that can make your team’s life hell. – Jack “Jaws” Wright
After a long trial process it was a new generation of Swedish talent that shined through. Please welcome our final 7 that will compete for the gold at BlizzCon this year! 🇸🇪 #OWWC2019 pic.twitter.com/QsEkhzvtTa
— Team Sweden Overwatch (@OwSweden) July 30, 2019
7: Canada
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That’s the rallying cry, not only for past GOATs enthusiasts but also Team Canada, who return in 2019 with the same starting lineup as the previous year. It’s no wonder they’re sticking to their guns as Canada took home the bronze medal in the 2018 OWWC. Brady “Agilities” Girardi of the Los Angeles Valiant, Lane “Surefour” Roberts of the Los Angeles Gladiators, and Liam “Mangachu” Campbell of the Toronto Defiant make up the talented DPS line. All three are capable of clutch plays but do struggle from inconsistency at times. Lucas “NotE” Meissner of the Dallas Fuel will be playing off-tank while Félix “xQc” Lengyel, streamer and former OWL player, will reprise his role as main tank for the third year. An Orisa player from the start, xQc’s knowledge of the hero may also give Canada a leg up in the current bunker meta. Chris “Bani” Benell of the Houston Outlaws will play main support and William “Crimzo” Hernandez of Contenders North America’s Team Envy, will play of flex support. While Crimzo has not yet been called up to OWL, don’t underestimate him. As one of the strongest flex supports in Contenders NA, Crimzo’s mechanical skill will take the team far.
Alternates for Team Canada include Ricky “Akaydia” Nguyen on DPS, Blake “Zholik” Solberg of former Contenders NA team GRUNTo Esports on main support, Travis “AutumnSouls” Letwiniuk of Harrisburg University on flex support, Shayne “Chayne” La Rocque of Contenders NA team Bermuda on main tank, and streamer Walid “Mouffin” Bassal on off-tank. – Evie “HamTornado” Feng
6: Finland
Finland vs South Korea was one of the most explosive matches of the entire 2018 Overwatch World Cup tournament. Finland were the ones to show us that team South Korea could bleed. Tuomo “Davin” Leppänen, Richard “rCk” Kanerva, Petja “Masaa” Kantanen and Roni “LhCloudy” Tiihonen are reunited after more than a year, back from when they used to play on the 2018 Season 1 & 2 Contenders roster which just screams great synergy. Otherwise, on this Finland Roster, Davin and Joonas “zappis” Alakurtti are also coming in on a high note after securing second place in Contenders Europe Season 3.
Speaking of Contenders Europe, Clockwork Vendetta’s Mei specialist Ricky “Ricky” Foxell will be joining the team this year. With all the Mei and Reaper we’ve seen this last stage, you can be sure he’ll be brewing up a tundra for the opposition. To top it off, their backline is led by two OWL players and is just bubbling with experience. Once again, this year I’m expecting solid results from Finland. – Zander “Blank” Padwick
The final set of rankings for the top five teams will be released this coming Sunday, don’t miss it! 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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