With the LPL Summer Split in full swing, we are presenting to you our power rankings for the LPL after Week 1 of the split.
LPL has had some key matches in Week 1 with the league only being a single round robin. Thus, many of the results of these games are very important for teams with playoff aspirations. Some of the teams from last split has stayed at the top while other teams have started rising to the challenge. There are also some changes with teams to make themselves stronger, hence let’s get right to it.
Power Rankings
While some teams such as BLG and WE strengthening their teams, many other teams have kept their roster from last split. It’s still early to say which team will come out on top. However, some teams do look strong given their Week 1 performances. Given RNG did not play in the first week, our first place is reserved for them until we see more out of them going forward in the split. Hence, let’s talk about the rankings for the teams going into Week 2.
1. Royal Never Give Up
As mentioned earlier, RNG did not play in the first week for the split. This is due to MSI having ended close to the start of the LPL split. With a week of vacation, they should be rejuvenated going into Week 2 and should be regarded as the best team in the LPL for now. However, they will need to maintain the level of play they have showed in Spring and at MSI. They should be able to maintain it as this team is really strong and deserves to be at the top of the LPL.
2. Edward Gaming
EDG has looked the best in the first week of the LPL. Beating two strong teams in iG and the newly strengthened BLG is a great start for them. However, the win against IG is weighted less given TheShy was not playing due to quarantine restrictions. Regardless, it is a very good start for EDG and they are building upon their success last split. EDG should be regarded as one of the strongest team in the LPL and should be one of the top contenders to win the Summer Split.
3. JD Gaming
JDG start off the split strong with wins over TT and TES. Last split, this team had issues with performances and this is the split where they have to bounce back. Zoom is still their best player and the others have stepped up since last split. Beating TES is a massive boost given TES will be one of those teams vying for the top 4 spots. With JDG off to a good start, it will be a challenge to keep it up as they face other strong teams. Regardless, JDG should be in the running for top 4 in the split and we are expecting them to get better as the split wanes.
4. FunPlus Phoenix
FPX will be 4th in our list after a 2-0 series win start to the split. They took care of business against UP and RW but they did give up a game against UP. Regardless, two solid wins on their board and their split is off running. They still have a very talented roster but there are still questions lingering from last split. Bo will potentially return on July so maybe FPX gets a boost from the jungle position. All in all, a good start for FPX and FPX should keep this up to build some momentum going forward.
5. Team WE
WE comes in 5th on our list after beating SN and TT. SN put up quite a fight against them and WE have looked good. They made an upgrade during MSI replacing Shanks with Mole. This team is loaded with talent and they are gunning for the 4th spot. We expect them to improve and be one of the big players to win the entire split when it’s all said and done.
6. LNG Esports
LNG is 6th on our list for their 2-0 start this split against V5 and BLG. BLG gave them a run for their money but LNG won it out at the end. This team is really on the upward trend since last split but people should not over hype them. There is a lot to like with the team, with them having some talented players and they are stepping up when needed. Light and Iwandy are clear focal points for the team and Tarzan does well to enable them. Going forward, this team should be strong but how strong will be one to track at the end of the split.
7. Rare Atom
RA is 7th on our list after their two series wins against OMG and LGD. This team has been riding high ever since last split with their main carry, FoFo carrying the load for them. They looked shaky against LGD but still managed to win the series. They started off 2-0 but should not relax as there is a tough series coming against EDG. We will have to see how this team develops and see where they will rank as the split progresses.
8. Invictus Gaming
IG goes 1-1 for the start of the split despite TheShy not being able to play for the past week. Winning against SN will help them in the long run but EDG completely outplayed them. IG is a strong team and will be stronger when TheShy returns. The only caveat is that we do not know when he will be returning given he is on quarantine. Until then IG will want to hold strong and do the best they can. Week 2 is also to their advantage as they only play OMG on Monday and could practice more and hope TheShy rejoins the team soon.
9. Top Esports
TES only played the one series against JDG and did not come out victorious. Not only that, it was not a good start for them considering this is a loss against one of their expected peers. Losing games against teams who are going to be hunting for the same spots as you are is a detriment going forward as the LPL is a single round robin league. They will have to bounce back and they will be facing one of the weaker teams in the LPL in TT.
10. LGD Gaming
LGD has looked better than last split as they start 1-1 in the split. They pushed RA to 3 games but could not close out the deal and beat UP in a 2-0 fashion. Shad0w has looked good for them and has performed well alongside Xiye. As both newcomers are stepping up, Kramer still remains a question mark and he has to improve his play now that he has gotten back his duo partner in 2020 in Mark. This team could be one of the big players of the playoffs with the new acquisitions and it will be interesting to see their development as the split goes on.
11. Bilibili Gaming
Despite the 0-2 start, BLG ranks 11th in our list. This is primarily due to their week 1 schedule being a tough one facing EDG and RA. In both instances, they pushed their opponents to 3 games and this bodes well going forward. Given it is a team that acquired new players to fit in, it should take some time to settle in. Adding Weiwei and ppgod will be good going forward along with already having Aiming and Zeka in the roster. With that said, their development will be key and they cant afford to give up any more series wins. They are going to be facing LGD and SN this week and they have to win those 2 series for a possible tiebreaker resolution at the end of the split.
12. Suning
Suning started off 0-2 for the split and are off to a shaky start. However, they did push WE to 3 games and almost won that series. There are a lot of noticeable problems with SN at the moment such as Bin’s inconsistency and SOFM not starting the split that well. It is still a talented roster but their performances will need to pick up especially in such a volatile league. Here is to hoping they improve and make the playoffs.
13. Ultra Prime
Ultra Prime (formerly known as e-Star) starts off 0-2 in the week. The positive is that they took a game off FPX. Other than that, there are a lot of issues with the team. This team has some talent but it is not enough to compete at the highest of levels yet. Still time for the team to show us what they are made off but that was not really the case week 1.
14. ThunderTalk Gaming
TT lands on 14th in our list despite the 0-2 start. They faced against two of the strongest teams in JDG and WE and got blown out. It is expected given how strong those teams are. Regardless, the team is going to run different lineups and see what works for them as they are clearly looking for the right roster to move forward with. However, they better brace themselves as they face TES and FPX this week.
15. Oh My God
OMG played the one series against RA which RA convincingly won. That comes as no surprise as RA is a more talented team than OMG is at the moment. They are trying out different players in many roles like TT is and are also in the same boat. Sadly things will not get any easier for them as they play IG and RNG in Week 2.
16. Rogue Warriors
RW played one series this week against FPX which was not a contest. FPX thoroughly outplayed them at every facet of the game. It’s not that RW losing was an issue, it was how they lost. RW is trying to build up a roster to compete and we hope they can do soon enough.
17. Victory Five
How V5 has fallen from last split after their disappointment to not make the playoffs. They finish the week with 0-1 record, losing against LNG. After their roster blowup where they gave up ppgod and Weiwei to BLG, Mole to WE, and LANGX to TT, they simply started rebuilding. The roster does not look good on a competition standpoint but it’s a clean start for them. Hence, they end up a 17th on our list. Next week will also not be easy for them as they face some really strong teams in WE and RA.
Matches to Watch This Week
There are some matches that are worth watching in this week in our opinion. Here they are:
- EDG vs RA: The 2nd series on Sunday featuring two of the teams that are currently 2-0. Should be a fun series to watch.
- JDG vs LNG: JDG is on a roll as they face LNG who have looked strong so far in the split.
- BLG vs LGD: Two mid table teams with significant acquisitions facing off against each other where a win over the other could mean a playoff berth.
- BLG vs Suning: Another match up that could determine who makes it to the playoffs when all is said and done.
There are many other games worth watch as the LPL remains as volatile and action-packed as ever. The LPL has games every day of the week and Week 2 starts off with a great second series in EDG vs RA.
