At this point, this Summer Split is starting to look exactly like the previous one. As Week 4 is about to begin, Cloud9 are once again dominating the League of Legends Championship Series with six victories to their record, and no defeat. Is there a team capable of putting an end to their supremacy?
Actually, five teams are neck and neck on Cloud9's heels. Counter Logic Gaming, Evil Geniuses, FlyQuest, Team Liquid, and Team SoloMid are strong contenders but none of them will have the chance to face the leader of the pack this week.
In the bottom of the standings, 100 Thieves, Golden Guardians, Immortals, and Dignitas brought massive changes to their respective rosters, and they might spring a surprise... — but let's face it, it's highly unlikely.
The LCS is about to resume and ten teams are competing at the top of NA, not only to be crowned champion, but also to qualify for Worlds! Who are the favorites? Who should take it all?
As Week 1 ends, three teams rose to the top, while three others dropped in the bottom of the standings...
It looks like the Spring Split all over again — except that the chasing pack seems far more ready to take on the LCS throne...
Previous ranking: 1st (=)
Week 3 record: 2-0
This Summer Split is seriously starting to look like the previous one as Cloud9 are now 6-0.
As long as they remain undefeated, their first place in our power rankings isn't even questionable.
Previous ranking: 5th (+3)
Week 3 record: 2-0
Team SoloMid is finally starting to look like the roster we were expecting. Two crushing victories over Evil Geniuses and 100 Thieves allowed them to come back into the top of the standings, but also to regain the confidence of fans.
With Evil Geniuses, TSM seems to be the only team capable of finally putting an end to Cloud9's domination — but will they actually do it?
Previous ranking: 2nd (-1)
Week 3 record: 1-1
We're still confident that Evil Geniuses are Worlds' material even after their terrible defeat to TSM. Let's face it, this week wasn't as shiny as the previous ones in terms of victories, especially since winning against Dignitas is a mere formality given the current state of the team.
That said, EG will have to grab more wins if they want to keep their spot in the top of our rankings.
Previous ranking: 3rd (-1)
Week 3 record: 1-1
Team Liquid had a shot to beat Cloud9, and they failed. However, their performance was far from being disappointing. Overall, Liquid was super convincing during Week 3, and we just can't wait to see if they will once again step up this week.
Previous ranking: 4th (-1)
Week 3 record: 1-1
FlyQuest didn't get to play one of the top LCS teams this week, but they had the opportunity to confirm their status. Sadly, Week 3 was filled with mixed results. Admittedly, they won against CLG without that much difficulty but were beaten by Golden Guardians after a heavily contested game.
To beat Cloud9 won't be enough to qualify for Playoffs and Worlds, and FlyQuest need to become consistent if they want to achieve this feat. Until they do so, they'll remain last of the chasing pack.
Previous ranking: 6th (=)
Week 3 record: 1-1
From the bottom to the top, Counter Logic Gaming can be proud of their current record as they're now part of the chasing pack. Although they managed to prove their superiority over low and bottom table teams just like 100 Thieves, they're still struggling against the other teams actually capable of challenging Cloud9 — hence their current placement.
Previous ranking: 6th (-1)
Week 3 record: 1-1
This week was quite weird for Golden Guardians as they displayed an impressive level against FlyQuest and a terrible one against Immortals.
These mixed results are, however, not enough for us to rank the team higher. The Guardians still have a lot to prove, especially since Damonte has been part of the team for less than a month.
Previous ranking: 8th (=)
Week 3 record: 0-2
Although their match against TSM was heavily contested 100 Thieves didn't play their best League this week, and the team is still struggling to perform.
The team decided to bench Meteos and release Stunt for Week 4, and promoted Poome and Contractz in the process. It remains to be seen if the arrival of these rookies will change anything to the current catastrophe that the Thieves are living.
Previous ranking: 9-10th (+1)
Week 3 record: 1-1
Week 3 wasn't entirely bad for Immortals but one victory isn't really enough to bring the team out of the bottom of the standings. They made drastic changes to their organization, releasing their Head Coach as well as their General Manager and promoting four of their Academy players.
To start on fresh bases is certainly the best solution, but Immortals now have everything to prove again.
Previous ranking: 9-10th (=)
Week 2 record: 0-2
The disaster continues with two more losses added to their streak. Dignitas are now 0-6 and the team's future looks pretty dark. Just like Cloud9's first place is unquestionable, Dignitas will remain bottom of the pile until they manage to get back on track — and, at this point, they'll probably need a miracle.
Do you agree with our power rankings? Have we misplaced a team? Feel free to drop a comment in the section below!
The LCS Summer Split Final went the full five-game distance as TSM defeated FlyQuest to claim their first title in three years, and seventh overall.