The 2019 Overwatch League season is one more week closer to completion.
With each week, the playoff picture becomes more clear. The top seven teams are locked into the top 12 and the top three teams are locked into their current seeds (while the Shock could end up with a better record than the Excelsior, the Excelsior have clinched the second seed because of their Atlantic Division title).
There are only two remaining weeks in the current Overwatch League. The time is running out for teams to make the playoffs or get their preferred seeds.
Here is this week's edition of Scrub's OWL Power Rankings.
Image credit: Steward Volland for Blizzard Entertainment
1. (-) San Francisco Shock (20-5)
An undefeated stage would not be surprising 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
. They continue to look like the best team in the league.
2. (+1) Vancouver Titans (24-2)
Only one week after being swept by the Justice, 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
appear to be returning to form. Playing
Stitch
over
Hooreg
has made the team look better in the short term. For the long term, they seem to be taking advantage of their top seed and experimenting with lineups and compositions. Both
SeoMinSoo
and
rapel
got rare Stage 4 playtime against the Fusion.
3. (-1) Los Angeles Gladiators (16-10)
The first two maps 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
played against the Dallas Fuel were not good. However, the Gladiators cleaned up their play in the final three maps to reverse sweep a team they should have swept in the first place. One interesting stat to help paint the picture of the change in the Gladiators play between the two halves: while the Gladiators captured the point first both times in the last Control map, Busan, they failed to capture it first once in three rounds on Lijiang Tower, the last Control map.
4. (+5) Guangzhou Charge (14-13)
A reverse sweep over a solid Dynasty team and a sweep over the Excelsior mark another week for the surging
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
. Their loss to the London Spitfire in Week 2 was their only blemish this stage and they have moved themselves up from a team on the wrong side of the top 12 to a team that's currently in eighth. They're now 11-5 in their last 15 matches since starting the season 3-8.
5. (-) Washington Justice (7-19)
Aside from their upset victory over the Titans in Week 2, 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
haven't played any tough teams in Stage 4. Nonetheless, they've looked good overall and are deserving of a top five ranking--even despite looking less convincing over the Outlaws and Uprising this week. The Justice will have their second challenge this stage when they play against the Reign. That match should be a better indicator as to whether or not the Justice's win over the Titans was an anomaly or whether it was a sign the Justice are a top team.
6. (-2) London Spitfire (16-11)
A close match with the Titans and a strong victory over the Outlaws keeps 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
in the top six. Aside from their loss to the Mayhem, the Spitfire have generally been strong this stage. An interesting note: all four of their Stage 4 victories--regardless if they're against weaker teams like the Fuel or stronger teams like the Charge--have been 3-1.
7. (+3) Atlanta Reign (12-12)
While 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
didn't play this week, teams that were ahead of them did play and lost while they were at it. By not playing, the Reign avoided losing and thus climbed in the rankings. Week 4 will finally pit the Reign against strong opponents this stage--the Justice and the Spitfire--so it should be a good measure of how scary the
ErsTer
-powered Reign are.
8. (-2) Seoul Dynasty (14-12)
Once again, 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
are suffering from a brutal schedule. They are a better team than their Stage 4 record suggests. Nonetheless, they needed to finish that match with the Charge and not let it slip away.
9. (-2) Chengdu Hunters (12-14)
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 again reminded us they are the most inconsistent team in the Overwatch League. A victory over the struggling Spark could have made a finish in the top 12 inevitable for them. Now, however, their prospects for making the postseason are a lot less certain.
10. (-2) Shanghai Dragons (13-12)
A loss to the Shock isn't anything to be ashamed of. However, it's clear that 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
are not the same unstoppable force that ran through the Stage 3 playoffs. They should become a formidable opponent for any team in the league once they find their footing in the current meta, but they aren't there yet.
11. (-) Los Angeles Valiant (11-14)
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
needed their win over the Florida Mayhem and will now need to beat the Uprising next. They have an uphill battle to making the top 12 with the Gladiators and the Shock both on deck for their final week, so they need every win they can get.
12. (-) New York Excelsior (21-5)
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
's playoff seed is clinched, meaning they have time to figure out the current meta and experiment. Their struggles now are concerning, yes, but those same struggles may expose enough problems that need fixing to lead to a better Excelsior team come playoff time.
13. (+1) Hangzhou Spark (15-10)
Thanks in part to
GodsB
finally coming alive, 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
have their first win of Stage 4. They should continue to steady themselves when they take on the Fuel in Week 4 before they end Stage 4 with tougher opponents.
14. (+1) Florida Mayhem (4-22)
Gargoyle
's play on Roadhog dominated the Valiant on Hollywood and kept Agilities from taking over the game as Pharah. Fantastic play like that gives 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
some hope for the potential of their rebuilt roster next season.
15. (+2) Paris Eternal (10-16)
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
did not look good in their matchup with the Fusion... but they won the match nonetheless. Maybe the momentum from that win can help them play better in their final week of the season.
16. (-3) Philadelphia Fusion (14-13)
It wasn't unexpected 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
to lose to the Titans--even in a sweep. However, it was surprising for the Fusion to lose to the Eternal. They haven't looked good throughout the season, but rarely have they looked as bad as they did this weekend. It's not a good look for them entering the postseason.
17. (-1) Toronto Defiant (8-19)
Fresh off their loss to the Florida Mayhem, 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 to play the Mayhem again. They'll be seeking to end their season on a high note.
18. (-) Houston Outlaws (9-18)
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
have consistently shown some signs of life each week in Stage 4 by winning at least one map, but continually wind up losing their matches anyway. Their matches were surely harder without
Jake
in the lineup, but they still managed to keep them closer than expected.
19. (-) Dallas Fuel (10-15)
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
's brutal Stage 4 doesn't get remarkably easier in its final three matches. They have to take on a Spark team that appears to be regaining their form as well as Charge and Reign teams that have found new life with the 2-2-2 lock. It seems more and more likely with each passing week they'll end the season with a 12 game losing streak.
20. (-) Boston Uprising (8-16)
After starting the season with a 7-6 record, 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
are now 1-10 in their last 11 matches. Much like last season, the Uprising started the season by outperforming the expectations placed on their roster. Unlike last season, however, everything fell apart well before they could turn it into a playoff appearance.