The past week of Overwatch League competition has shown that nobody is safe from the unpredictable, including top five teams.
A lot has happened in the past week of Overwatch League play. And, like the week prior, a lot of work and research was required to put these rankings together. Drastic jumps in rank occurred once again, but some of them were justified in my eyes. At the end of the rankings (and in future editions of power rankings), I will be including matches that I believe will be the most exciting ones for the spectators.
Going into this week's rankings, I came to the conclusion that although some teams that may have lost a match, that does not mean they should not be given a chance to rise in the rankings. This is something that I plan on integrating into my judgement of rankings from here on. This means that teams that may be 1-2 have a better chance of rising in the standings if they have close matches against tougher opponents.
Here are Hudsen's power rankings for the second week of the 2019 Overwatch League season.
1. (-) New York Excelsior (4-0)
A 3-2 series win over the Valiant and 4-0 sweep of the Outlaws has to have New York Excelsior New York Excelsior OWL Rank #18 Gangnamjin Gang Nam-jin (강남진) flex support Myunb0ng Seo Sang-min (서상민) flex support Flora Lim Young-woo (임영우) dps Yaki Kim Jun-gi (김준기) dps Kellan Kim Min-jae tank fans feeling very good. If the Excelsior and their tanks can continue to dominate the competition, I think it's fair to expect them in the stage grand finals. The Excelsior play against the Defiant and Dynasty this week, which gives me little doubt that this is the week they will be upset.
2. (+2) Vancouver Titans (3-0)
The Vancouver Titans Vancouver Titans OWL Rank #19 Aspire Luka Rolovic dps MirroR Chris Trịnh dps False Nick Wiseman tank Masaa Petja Kantanen support Aztac Park Jeong-soo (박정수) support and their tanks looked very impressive in their Week 2 matches against the Charge and Shock. JJANU especially has had a stellar performance and I don't see the Titans losing steam until the stage playoffs. They only play the Valiant this upcoming week, who have had tough losses against tough opposition. If the Excelsior struggle in their match while the Titans roll with ease, that's going to be their ticket to the top spot on my power rankings.
3. (+4) Paris Eternal (2-0)
The Paris Eternal Paris Eternal OWL Rank #20 Kaan Emir Kaan Okumus flex support Glister Lim Gil-seong (임길성) dps Wub Cameron Johnson dps Dove Jesse Palomo dps Malthel Josh Gonzales dps Daan Daniël Vincentius Paulus Scheltema tank Krawi tank dridro Arthur Szanto support Lukemino Luke Fish support Rakattack Kyle Rakauskas support have been on a huge tear so far. These guys are without a doubt the best non-Korean team at 3-3 and their prowess against other teams that have looked rather formidable in 3-3 is incredibly evident. Their only match this week is against the Reign, who have also looked strong in the current meta, but I think the experience that this all European team brings will net them another victory. If either Vancouver or New York have unimpressive performances this week, the Eternal can easily snatch the second or even first slot from either of the two teams above them.
4. (+1) San Francisco Shock (1-2)
Losing to the Titans 3-1 had to hurt for the San Francisco Shock San Francisco Shock OWL Rank #2 Viol2t Park Min-ki flex support Finn Oh Se-jin (오세진) flex support Proper Kim Dong-hyeon (김동현) dps s9mm Samuel Santos dps Coluge Colin Arai tank , but the fact that they were so competitive against the Titans is what brought me to bumping up the Shock one ranking. If they can stay on the ball against the Spark and Justice, their rise in the standings will be justified. Otherwise, they will fall quite a bit in next week's rankings.
5. (+7) London Spitfire (2-2)
Initially the London Spitfire London Spitfire OWL Rank #12 Landon flex support SparkR William Andersson dps Backbone Jamie O'Neill dps Hadi Daniel Bleinagel tank Admiral Oliver Vahar support 's 3-2 series against the Justice had me very concerned for what tragedies might be coming the way of the defending champions, but turning around and defeating the Spark 3-1 in their next match gave me hope that the Spitfire have at least some grasp now of how to win more games in this meta. Benching birdring and putting Guard in to play Brigitte for them whilst having Profit go to Zarya was a really good move by them. Their only match this week is against the Gladiators, and I expect the Spitfire to look just as good as they did against the Spark.
6. (-) Los Angeles Gladiators (1-2)
A 2-1 loss against a red hot Eternal squad had the Los Angeles Gladiators Los Angeles Gladiators OWL Rank #4 Shu Kim Jin-seo flex support kevster Kevin Persson dps Patiphan Patiphan Chaiwong dps Reiner Corey Scoda tank FunnyAstro Daniel Hathaway support not move any positions from last week's power rankings, but with Decay now eligible to play for the Gladiators, their extra firepower (and expensive offseason purchase) needs to be ready to hit the ground running. The Spitfire are their only opponents this week. And so far, they have looked pretty good despite their difficulties in Week 1.
7. (-5) Hangzhou Spark (2-2)
There's only one appropriate adjective to describe the Hangzhou Spark Hangzhou Spark OWL Rank #6 BERNAR Shin Se-won (신세원) off tank irony Kim Hyeong-woo (김형우) flex support Shy Zheng Yangjie (郑杨杰) dps AlphaYi Kim Joon (김준) dps guxue Xu Qiulin (徐秋林) tank superich Wu Gengtuo (吴梗拓) support in week two: lost. Getting upset by the Outlaws and Spitfire 3-1 is just unacceptable for a team that was so highly regarded in the preseason and showed it in their week one matches. I hope the Spark can get their issues ironed out before their upcoming matches against the Shock and Gladiators because I think they are a fantastic team that can still prove themselves to be a top three team.
8. (-5) Philadelphia Fusion (2-2)
It's unfortunate that Boombox could not play due to illness for the Philadelphia Fusion Philadelphia Fusion OWL Rank #11 AimGod Min-seok Kwon flex support MN3 Yoon Jae-hee dps ZEST Kim Hyun-woo (김현우) dps Belosrea tank FiXa Kwon Young Hoon (권영훈) support , but I don't think they should have looked as bad as they did, even with Elk subbing in at flex support. Hopefully Boombox can get well and compete in this upcoming week's matches, or otherwise we might see EQO become their flex support temporarily and have snillo called in. Their only match is against the Justice this week, so I expect a good showing out of the Fusion regardless of who may or may not be playing at certain roles.
9. (-) Atlanta Reign (2-1)
I didn't move the Atlanta Reign Atlanta Reign OWL Rank #10 Kai Kai Collins dps nero Charlie Zwarg dps Hawk Xander Domecq tank UltraViolet Benjamin David support Ojee Christian Han support any spots in this week's power rankings mostly because their schedule has not been too difficult. However, facing off against a ferocious looking Eternal means that the Reign are in gut check mode. A win and/or good showing in that match will easily ensure they remain in the top 10 of next week's rankings.
10. (+1) Seoul Dynasty (2-1)
With their only game last week being a 4-0 sweep against the Hunters, I'm pleased to see the potential of the Seoul Dynasty Seoul Dynasty OWL Rank #3 Ir1s Kim Seung-Hyun (김승현) FITS Kim Dong-eon (김동언) dps Profit Park Joon-yeong (박준영) dps smurf Yoo Myeong-Hwan tank Vindaim Junwoo Park support really starting to blossom. They have two matches this upcoming week, against the Uprising and Excelsior respectively. And like all teams, good showings in both matches are imperative. But for the Dynasty, a good showing is what will keep them in the top 10 of next week's rankings.
11. (-1) Dallas Fuel (2-2)
A win against a Fusion roster that was not at full strength while losing to the Charge has me confused about how the Dallas Fuel Dallas Fuel OWL Rank #1 Fielder Kwon Joon (권준) flex support Doha Kim Dong-Ha (김동하) dps SP9RK1E Kim Young-han (김영한) dps FEARLESS Lee Eui-seok (이의석) tank ChiYo Han Hyeon-syuk (한현석) support are going to stack up against other competition. They play the Dragons in weeks three and four, so if the Fuel can have a good showing in both matches, a return to the top 10 is likely for them in next week's rankings.
12. (-4) Los Angeles Valiant (0-3)
The Los Angeles Valiant Los Angeles Valiant OWL Rank #15 Molly He Chengzhi (何诚智) flex support Diya Lu Weida (陆炜达) dps innovation Oh Seok-hyun (오석현) dps Becky Il-ha Kim (김일하) dps Ezhan dps Marve1 Hwang Min-seo (황민서) tank Lengsa Chen Jingyi (陈婧逸) support have had a rough first few weeks, facing tough competition in the Spark and Excelsior, but losing to the Defiant was something the Valiant should not have let happen. Hopefully they come prepared for this week, as their matches against the Titans and Charge could turn ugly if we see the Valiant of last week once again.
13. (+1) Shanghai Dragons (1-2)
The world rejoiced once the Shanghai Dragons Shanghai Dragons OWL Rank #5 Izayaki Kim Min-chul (김민철) flex support Void Kang Jun-woo (강준우) off tank Fleta Kim Byung-sun (김병선) dps LIP Lee Jae-won (이재원) dps Fate Koo Pan-seung (구판승) tank LeeJaeGon Lee Jae-gon (이재곤) support finally got their first win after 42 Overwatch League matches played, but the controversy around the league office barring Fusions from play mere minutes before the match was set to start cannot be taken too much into how they will do against upcoming competition. They've gotten their first taste of victory, now I want to see the Dragons take off and show the world what they are really capable of achieving.
14. (+3) Guangzhou Charge (1-2)
A 3-2 defeat to the Titans and 4-0 sweep of the Fuel have given me confidence that the Guangzhou Charge Guangzhou Charge OWL Rank #9 Cr0ng Nam Ki-cheol (남기철) off tank Farway1987 Cao Jiale (曹家乐) flex support choisehwan Choi Se-Hwan (최세환) dps Develop Chae Rak-hoon (채락훈) dps Rio Oh Seung-pyo (오승표) tank Unique Yoo Dong-hyun support are really starting to get into the rhythm that they need to be in to play well in the back half of this stage. Shu was really highlighted as someone that performed incredibly well for the Charge in their matches, and I am confident that if they can keep playing around his impressive Ana and Zenyatta play, he can absolutely break into the upper echelon of flex supports that have been around since the first season.
15. (+1) Toronto Defiant (2-1)
The Toronto Defiant Toronto Defiant OWL Rank #14 Twilight Lee Joo-seok (이주석) flex support Heesu Jeong Hee-su (정희수) dps Finale dps MuZe Kim Young-hun (김영훈) tank Ch0r0ng support have looked like they're slowly getting better and better, but losing to the Reign and winning against a struggling Valiant don't give me a lot of reason to bump the Defiant up many more slots in the power rankings. Their first match this week is against the Excelsior, which is going to be rough. A good map score in that match can give me reason to rate the Defiant higher, but they absolutely need a win against the Uprising to continue going up in a later edition of power rankings.
16. (-3) Boston Uprising (1-2)
Being the first team to lose against the Dragons without their starting main tank is undoubtedly going to leave a bad taste in the mouths of Boston Uprising Boston Uprising OWL Rank #16 Valentine Kim Byoungju dps punk Leyton Gilchrist tank Faith Hong Gyu Kim support Crimzo William Hernandez support fans, but the Uprising shouldn't have looked as bad as they did with Axxiom starting at main tank instead of Fusions . Thankfully, they have Fusions back for this week of play. If they can net wins against the Dynasty and Defiant this week, the Uprising will likely see a return to the middle of the pack.
17. (-2) Chengdu Hunters (2-1)
The Chengdu Hunters Chengdu Hunters OWL Rank #13 Mmonk Zhou Xiang (周翔) flex support Daizi Ni Yuandong (倪远东) off tank Jinmu Yi Hu (易虎) dps Leave Huang Xin (黄馨) dps GA9A Qiu Jiaxin (仇佳鑫) tank Nisha Tan Li (谭力) support ' unorthodox style of play involving Wrecking Ball has me and many other critics questioning the true efficiency of the compositions that the Hunters are putting forward. The Dynasty completely stomped them once they stopped trying to play into what they were doing and their win against the Mayhem was a nice consolation prize to keep them from falling into the bottom three, but something has to improve while jiqiren is still unable to compete for them. Otherwise, they face returning to the bottom three once again like in my preseason power rankings.
18. (-) Houston Outlaws (1-3)
The Houston Outlaws Houston Outlaws OWL Rank #7 Lastro Moon Jung-won (문정원) flex support creative Kim Young-wan (김영완) flex support Danteh Dante Cruz dps Pelican Oh Se-hyun (오세현) dps Mer1t Choi Tae-min dps Piggy Shin Min-jun tank looked better from last week, even getting an upset over the Spark to add some good talk around what their potential may actually be, but I don't consider a win against a Spark team that looked completely and utterly lost that impressive. On top of that, only taking a single point against the Excelsior has me doubtful still that the Outlaws are going to stray away from being inconsistent on a regular basis. Last week I ragged on Rawkus for not having a standout performance in game, and I'm going to continue to make an issue out of it until either a change is made at that role or he improves to transcend (pun intended) the support style Zenyatta that he currently plays and evolves into a full-fledged DPS with healing capabilities like other flex supports have. A dominant performance against the Mayhem this week can be their ticket out of the bottom three.
19. (-) Florida Mayhem (1-2)
A win over a Fusion roster that wasn't at full strength and loss to the Hunters in five maps did not give me the confidence at all to rate the Florida Mayhem Florida Mayhem OWL Rank #8 SirMajed Majed Alrashied flex support Checkmate Baek Seung-hun dps Hydron Isaiah Rodriguez dps someone tank ANAMO Jeong Tae-seong (정태성) support out of the bottom three. Their first match this week is against the Charge, and how that match goes can set the tone for how this team performs against the Outlaws, who I have rated above them. A strong showing against either team will surely give me more confidence next week to put the Mayhem closer to the middle of the pack. Otherwise, they should get comfy with being all the way down here in the rankings.
20. (-) Washington Justice (0-2)
Getting two maps off of the Spitfire is a nice consolation prize for being reverse swept by them, but the Washington Justice Washington Justice OWL Rank #17 Decay Jang Gui-un (장귀운) dps Happy Lee Jung-woo (이정우) dps Mag Kim Tae-sung (김태성) tank Krillin Jeong Young-hoon support Opener An Gi-beom support still haven't shown any indication that they don't belong at the bottom of the standings. They play the Fusion and Shock this week, two very tough teams. I unfortunately don't see the Justice getting an upset win this week or getting out of the bottom three anytime soon. Hopefully changes come through, as this roster does have potential.
Weekly wrap-up
Every match and map point is obviously crucial for any team, but more so for teams that are in the middle of the pack and will likely be jockeying for one of the final playoff spots in the stage playoffs. Keep an eye on the Shock - Spark match today and the Gladiators - Spitfire match tomorrow as the matches to not miss.
Week 3 competition will begin with a series between the Justice and the Fusion.