After the roller coaster of upsets and victories in week two, the pack has finally stabilized for week three of league play and given us a better picture of what teams belong where.
However, some teams that do not have a positive win-loss record will be ranked higher than some other teams that do. This is based on the strength of their opponents that they faced, and their performance in said matches. As we enter the final two weeks (and for some teams, their final week) of stage one, all teams will have to be on their game to ensure they can obtain the best seeding possible for the stage playoffs.
Here are Hudsen's power rankings for the third week of the 2019 Overwatch League season.
1. (+1) Vancouver Titans (4-0)
I have 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
finally sitting atop the league standings despite the Excelsior showing similar dominance of their opponents and sitting at the top of the standings. Regardless, they look damn near unstoppable (despite giving up a map to the Valiant) and I don't expect them to slow down even approaching the stage playoffs.
2. (-1) New York Excelsior (6-0)
Allowing maps to be taken by the Dynasty and the Defiant may show upcoming opponents that the
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
are still in fact beatable. However, the Shock are not going to be an easy team to walk over. I expect the Excelsior to come out on all cylinders and ready to rumble because that match is going to be one of the best to premiere all week.
3. (+1) San Francisco Shock (3-2)
After a great turn around in Week 3 with good showings against the Justice and Spark, 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
are back in the top three of this week's power rankings. I am very excited to see how they fare against the Excelsior, despite them looking nearly unstoppable. Still, they must carry that momentum into their next game against the Eternal, who are also looking very strong, despite suffering a defeat at the hands of the Reign.
4. (+5) Atlanta Reign (3-1)
A dominant showing over the Eternal has certainly given doubters of 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
something to consider, especially since they had an easier first few weeks than other teams. I expect them to continue to play well against the Gladiators this upcoming week, which in turn can net them a top three spot in next week's rankings if the Shock falter in their matches.
5. (-) London Spitfire (3-2)
With 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
drawing a map and giving up another to the Gladiators in their 2-1 victory, I don't see any reason to move them when looking at last week's standings. However, they will have to be on their game against the Dragons, who some consider a dark horse team in the back half of this stage.
6. (-3) Paris Eternal (2-1)
After their match against the Reign, 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
are starting to look like they can be easily predicted and scouted against. I'm not doubting their strength as a team, but I want the Eternal to show some adaptability so they aren't as likely to be defeated like against the Reign.
7. (-) Hangzhou Spark (3-3)
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
managed to find their rhythm against a struggling Gladiators squad after another loss to the Shock. If they can find another win against the Defiant this upcoming week, they will likely be contenders to return to the top five in week four's power rankings.
8. (-) Philadelphia Fusion (3-2)
A win over the Justice and
Boombox
back in the lineup after an illness is great for
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
fans. However, there wasn't much that justified me ranking them any higher after the previous week they had. They play the Valiant next, and a dominant showing can have them contending for the top five once again in next week's rankings.
9. (+2) Dallas Fuel (3-2)
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
look to be finally stabilizing and getting into their groove. A 3-2 win over the Dragons and another match against them will keep the Fuel on their toes. If they can repeat their victory but not go to another map five, they will continue to climb in the standings for next week.
10. (+1) Shanghai Dragons (2-3)
Watching the replay of
YoungJIN
walking off of the payload in their series against the Fuel was painful enough and gave them the edge they needed to beat 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
. I expect this situation to not happen again and for the Dragons to come fully prepared for this week with plenty of scouting done for their rematch against the Fuel.
11. (-5) Los Angeles Gladiators (1-4)
Like their crosstown rivals, 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
have struggled in the past few weeks with losses against the Spark and Spitfire. They have another tough match scheduled against the Reign, and I don't expect them to show any mercy to teams that are showing any weaknesses. After the Reign, they play the Charge to round out their stage. If the Gladiators don't pick up their slack, we might see them at the bottom of the standings at the end of the stage with a 1-6 record.
12. (-2) Seoul Dynasty (2-3)
Taking a map off of the Excelsior in their loss to them but losing to the Uprising makes me question how consistent 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
roster can produce consistently good results going into the upcoming week and Week 5. They play the Justice as their only match this week, and lost maps to the Justice will give fans and critics alike more doubt to question if this team can make a deep run in the stage playoffs.
13. (+2) Toronto Defiant (3-2)
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 had a rather up and down first few weeks, and they've proven themselves to be one of the better mid-table teams. That being said, to finish the stage in the top ten will require good showings against the Hunters and Spark, who are very beatable opponents for them. I've been impressed by how this squad has turned out, but can't rate them much higher than a mid-table team at this point.
14. (+3) Guangzhou Charge (3-2)
Getting two wins against the Mayhem and Valiant are good stepping stones to set 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
up for a positive end to the first stage. They play the Gladiators as their only match this week, and if they can continue their momentum into Week 5, it's entirely possible this team can finish the stage ranked in the upper half of the rankings.
15. (+1) Boston Uprising (2-3)
Having
Fusions
back full time for the
Boston Uprising
Boston Uprising
OWL
Rank #16
Valentine
Kim Byoungju
dps
punk
Leyton Gilchrist
tank
Faith
Hong Gyu Kim
support
Crimzo
William Hernandez
support
is certainly a sigh of relief considering the roller coaster that occurred with Fusions being suspended, but because we are past that, their recent results must be taken into consideration. A 3-1 win over the Dynasty but 3-1 loss to the Defiant has me hopeful that the Uprising are still on an upward path.
16. (-4) Los Angeles Valiant (0-5)
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
really needed wins against the Defiant in Week 2 and the Charge last week, yet. the Valiant once again failed to net a win. I'm unsure what's really going on behind the scenes with this team, but if they go winless in this stage, we are likely going to see some In-N-Out trips being made for some players.
17. (+1) Houston Outlaws (2-3)
With 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
management reporting that having
Bani
"accidentally played" in their match against the Mayhem was...interesting to say the least. But their 3-1 victory over the Mayhem kept them from descending further into the rankings. Whether or not they can rise again in next week's rankings will be determined if they can find a good footing against a struggling Valiant roster.
18. (-1) Chengdu Hunters (2-2)
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
have looked like they aren't able to get much into motion as of late. A 4-0 loss to the Dragons and a Defiant roster that's on the rise doesn't appear to show much promise for the Chinese roster that continues to deviate from the league standard 3-3 compositions.
19. (-) Florida Mayhem (1-4)
Two losses to the Charge and Outlaws in Week 3 indicate that 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
's victory over the Fusion in Week 2 was a bit of a wash. But as a consolation prize for them, they've kept up with their competition enough to not fall to the very bottom of the rankings.
20. (-) Washington Justice (0-4)
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
have shown signs of improvement, and it's great for more competition in the league. But with each passing week, all other teams are getting better as well. And once again the Justice haven't shown any signs that they are capable of leaving the bottom spot in the power rankings.
Weekly wrap-up
There are going to be a lot of good matches to watch this upcoming week. The Eternal - Titans match is one that I think should absolutely not be missed, as well as the Excelsior - Shock game. Those are the two marquee matches to not miss in my opinion.
The first match of Week 4 will see the Reign take on the Gladiators.