League of Legends global power rankings: Preseason

Welcome back to our League of Legends global power rankings! Every week, we'll look at each team in the five major regions and rank them according to how they are currently performing. Our expert panel is starting out with the preseason.

• Nos. 1-10 -- World contenders

• Nos. 11-20 -- Playoff contenders

• Nos. 21-30 -- Middle of the pack

• Nos. 31-40 -- Struggling

• Nos. 41-50 -- Bottom of the barrel

World contenders

1. SK Telecom T1

League: LCK

We are starting the 2017 season as we left the old one: SK Telecom T1 on top, champions of the world. Don't let the familiar ranking fool you, though, this is a different version of SKT than we're used to seeing. The counter-punching style the club was famous for is more than likely gone in favor of a fast-paced, slugger style with the additions of top laner Heo "Huni" Seung-hoon and jungler Han "Peanut" Wang-ho; however, the core trio remains: Lee "Wolf" Jae-wan, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and Bae "Bang" Jun-sik. Coach Kim "kkOma" Jung-gyun re-signed for at least another year.

2. KT Rolster

League: LCK

KT Rolster proved it wasn't playing around in the frantic offseason with the creation of possibly, at least on paper, the scariest super team in League of Legends history. Newly acquired top laner Song "Smeb" Kyung-ho will hope to continue his streak of domestic MVP awards, looking for his third straight after sweeping the accolade last year on the ROX Tigers. The chemistry of the club and how far it can go might come down to mid laner Heo "PawN" Won-seok, the former world champion starter of Samsung White who has been battling health issues for the past two years in China on EDward Gaming. SKT, KT -- regardless of which team you want to rank first heading into the new year, we have one thing down for certain: March 2, the night the two archrivals will face off for first time with their new lineups.

3. Samsung Galaxy

League: LCK

Samsung Galaxy is coming off hot after a second-place finish at the League of Legends World Championship and a victory at Intel Extreme Masters Gyeonggi over Kongdoo Monster. The entire roster will remain together, as old man Ambition continues to groom his blossoming carries Lee "Crown" Min-ho and Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk. Samsung will have to continue to build upon its late-summer growth if it hopes to defeat the stacked rosters of SKT T1 and KT Rolster.

4. Longzhu

League: LCK

Longzhu was an absolute mess last year despite putting together a star-studded roster. 2016 was without a playoffs performance despite its star power, but 2017 looks to be different. The world class bot lane of Kim "PraY" Jong-in and Kang "GorillA" Beom-hyeon is sure to anchor the team as the team circulates Song "Fly" Yong-jun and highly touted prospect Gwak "Bdd" Bo-seong in the mid lane. If Lee "Crash" Dong-woo and Koo "Expession" Bon-taek perform to their abilities, Longzhu may even be an ROX Tigers "lite."

5. Afreeca Freecs

League: LCK

The Freecs ranking this high is more on the rest of the world than the Freecs themselves; there is a good chance that this Afreeca team, with tons of star power injected into it, could become the 2016 Longzhu of the new year. Still, when most of the major regions are in turnover at the top with losses at key positions, the safest bet is to go with a South Korean team. If former Worlds MVP and captain Jang "MaRin" Gyeong-hwan can readjust to the tough waters of the LCK after a forgettable stint in China on LGD Gaming and properly lead this Freecs team with an entirely new starting five, then the fifth spot might not be the highest this team can go in 2017.

6. Team WE

League: LPL

There is a lot to be said about an above-average team that decided to stay together and add side pieces in the offseason. Along with KT Rolster, Team WE were the best team in the world not to make Worlds last year, falling to the voodoo comeback magic of I May in the finals of the Chinese Regionals. This campaign, where main rivals Royal Never Give Up and especially EDward Gaming have looked to take a step back, could be the one to return Team WE back to the top of China after a lengthy absence for the former dynasty. The under-the-radar acquisition of Jeong "Raison" Soo-bin, a talented South Korean AD carry who just came off a year-long suspension for ELO boosting, could turn out to be big if he fits in well with the team.

7. Cloud9

League: NA LCS

After a successful 2016, Cloud9 -- the only North American team to make it to the playoffs of the 2016 World Championship -- comes into 2017 with two roster additions and one overall change. The replacement of jungler William "Meteos" Hartman for young gun Juan "Contractz" Arturo Garcia comes with risk, but given Contractz's explosive 2016 in the Challenger Series, he is more than worthy. Jungle aside, Cloud9's starting roster, one that finished second in North America and fifth-eighth at Worlds, remains the same. That should put them at a distinct advantage against their foes and in the early part of the season.

8. G2 Esports

League: EU LCS

The squad may have faltered at the 2016 World Championship, but management recognized that there was no need for player changes. Their decision to keep the roster intact and to add Weldon Green as their assistant coach is a testament of their ability to recognize that the issues that plagued them were more psychological and inexperience-related. As a result, they are front-runners for the European crown and perhaps, should they conquer their mental woes, far more on the world stage.

9. Royal Never Give Up

League: LPL

The loss of star support Cho "Mata" Se-hyeong along with top laner Jang "Looper" Hyeong-seok could hurt the 2016 Worlds quarterfinalist, but guess what? The entire starting five -- that's all five members! -- can now communicate in their native language! No more pings. No more blaming bad performances on miscommunications. The South Korean-hybrid rosters, outside of EDG at the Mid-Season Invitational in 2015, haven't worked out to be the greatest for the LPL, and it's nice to see a top tier team invest in a good, maybe even great, all-Chinese team. We'll see if this starts a trend in China.

10. Splyce

League: EU LCS

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Such was Splyce's attitude to the offseason, as their players, head coach and in-house manager returned for 2017. As such, the unit resumes where it left off: a group stage appearance at the World Championship, and a victory against Royal Never Give Up despite its inexperience. The sky is the limit for the players.

Playoff contenders

11. Flash Wolves

League: LMS

Flash Wolves have recently disappointed internationally, failing to make it out of groups at Worlds or defeat the Unicorns of Love at IEM Oakland. That aside, Flash Wolves still boasts the most talent of any Taiwanese team and if it can successfully integrate new AD carry Lu "DoubleRed" Yu-Hung (formerly known as "Betty"), it can only get stronger.

12. MVP

League: LCK

MVP is the only LCK Summer competitor to make no changes to its roster, seemingly committing to the decent synergy that allowed the team to be middle of the table in LCK. MVP lacks star power in key positions, but is steady, and that tends to be good enough to succeed early in the year.

13. Team Dignitas

League: NA LCS

Following a purchase by the ownership group of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Team Dignitas League of Legends team went big with its acquisitions, picking up South Korean stars Kim "Ssumday" Chan-ho and Lee "Chaser" Sang-hyun and North American AD carry Benjamin "LOD" DeMunck. This lineup, on paper, could be the best in North America, but they'll need to prove themselves to be ranked higher than Cloud9.

14. Kongdoo Monster

League: LCK

Kongdoo Monster is new to the LCK, but relatively strong performances at KeSPA Cup and IEM Gyeonggi are reasons to be optimistic about its Spring campaign. Kim "Roach" Kang-hui and Son "Punch" Min-hyuk form a strong top side for Kongdoo and will have to be the team's brick wall.

15. QG Reapers

League: LPL

Where are you, Baek "Swift" Da-hoon?! Kim "Doinb" Tae-sang is back in the LPL with his recently promoted Reapers, and the former Newbee mid lane starter will look to exact a bit of revenge on his former jungler and the club that parted ways with him in the middle of last year. Fellow South Korean Lee "Loken" Dong-wook was set to be one of the newest and brightest stars in LCK come 2017, so we'll see if the explosive AD carry can live up to expectations on an intriguing QG hybrid roster.

16. H2K Gaming

League: EU LCS

H2K made the best of their offseason as they retained Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski and Andrie "Odoamne" Pascu and added Choi "Chei" Sun-ho and Shin "Nuclear" Jung-hyun to the lineup. Fabian "Febiven" Diepstraten has big shoes to fill, as his predecessor filled an important role in regards to in-game decision-making.

17. Fnatic

League: EU LCS

Following the departure of marquee players (Bora "YellOwStaR" Kim, Lee "Spirit" Da-yun, Mateusz "Kikis" Szkudlarek and Febiven), the organization has successfully rebuilt around Martin "Rekkles" Larsson. In come veterans Paul "sOAZ" Boyer and Maurice "Amazing" Stückenschneider, the intriguing Jesse "Jesiz" Le at support and Rasmus "Caps" Winther -- a talented player with lots of room to grow on and off Summoners' Rift.

18. Invictus Gaming

League: LPL

If this were 2015 or 2016, Invictus Gaming would likely be in the Top 10 of our rankings. We would look at the two South Korean solo laners, Song "Rookie" Eui-jin and Lee "Duke" Ho-Seong, and slobber all over ourselves before proclaiming they were going to destroy everyone in China and then lose to an all-South Korean team at MSI or Worlds. But we've seen teams like this before in LPL; no matter the raw skill of the South Korean stars, it'll always come down to communication, chemistry and how well the players work together.

19. Counter Logic Gaming

League: NA LCS

"Consistency is key." Only one North American team took that saying to heart and that is Counter Logic Gaming, who retained its entire lineup for the 2017 season. Only one player, Zaqueri "Aphromoo" Black, has competed for the top of his position in the league consistently, but the team in 2016 continued to gel, making it to the finals of the Mid-Season Invitational and earning a spot to Worlds. That earns it a spot as the third best in North America.

20. Team SoloMid

League: NA LCS

North America's most popular team lost one of its best and most popular players in the offseason as it saw the departure of AD carry Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng. In his place returns former SoloMid marksman Jason "WildTurtle" Tran, who is a significant downgrade, but not enough to put it in the dumps. This lineup was still the best in North America in 2016 and still has golden boy Søren "Bjergsen" Bjerg, who will lead the five to compete for the top of North America.

Middle of the pack

21. Snake Esports

League: LPL

Snake, on pure raw talent alone, might will itself to the top of the Chinese leaderboard. The trio of Li "Flandre" Xuan-Jun, Lê "SofM" Quang Duy and newly acquired AD Oh "Ohq" Gyu-min can rival any trio in the LPL when it comes to mechanics, but the chemistry and consistency of the three will make or break its club this year.

22. I May

League: LPL

The question for I May is if the added firepower on paper is worth shaking up a starting five (well, six, with the constant switching out of mid laners Kang "Athena" Ha-woon and Kang "BaeMe" Yang-hyun) that won games through attrition and well-configured teamwork. New jungler Sung "Flawless" Yeon-jun will be key -- can he exert his individual skill in China, or will his solo abilities weigh down a once well-functioning unit?

23. Jin Air Green Wings

League: LCK

Jin Air was relatively quiet in the offseason and may not have made any big moves, but the team currently sports decent solo lane power with Jeon "ikssu" Ik-soo at top and Lee "Kuzan" Seong-hyeok at mid. Rookie AD carry Park "Teddy" Jin-seong will be the player to watch for Jin Air as he looks to learn with No "SnowFlower" Hoi-jong at his side.

24. Immortals

League: NA LCS

After its entire team fell apart, except mid laner Eugene "Pobelter" Park, the offseason proved fruitful for the Immortals squad, adding South Korean players Lee "Flame" Ho-jong and Kim "Olleh" Joo-sung and North Americans Joshua "Dardoch" Hartnett and Cody Sun. The team looks strong, but its showing at Intel Extreme Masters Gyeonggi in December left something to be desired; it's a North American contender, but will need work to match up internationally.

25. EDward Gaming

League: LPL

Yes, after EDG announced Zhao "Fireloli" Zhi-Ming would be starting the year over Ming "Clearlove" Kai, we had no choice but to rank it this low. Even with Clearlove, this lineup is shaky, replacing world-class marksmen Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu with Hae "Zet" Sung-min, formerly "Cry" of ROX Tigers who was substitute mid lane, not AD carry. But this is the same club that went undefeated last split with Chen "Mouse" Yu-Hao as starter though, so who knows, really?

26. Ahq e-Sports Club

League: LMS

Ahq continues to house problematic players Xue "Mountain" Zhao-Hong and Liu "Westdoor" Shu-Wei, but there's not much of an option with Taiwan's shallow talent pool. Chen "Ziv" Yi and Kang "Albis" Chia-Wei are still the jewels of this team and will certainly keep ahq relevant.

27. ROX Tigers

League: LCK

The ROX Tigers we once knew are no more. The current team built around last year's Afreeca roster, with legendary top laner Park "Shy" Sang-myeon and ex-Ever support Kim "Key" Han-gi, will keep it competitive enough, but it's pretty clear that it can't hope to match the Tigers of the last two years.

28. Phoenix 1

League: NA LCS

Another offseason juggernaut was Phoenix1, who retained one of the best shining stars in 2016, Rami "Inori" Charagh, as well as Derek "zig" Shao. It then bolstered its roster with the additions of Adrian "Adrian" Ma, Yoo "Ryu" Sang-ook and Noh "Arrow" Dong-hyeon. On paper, another top team in North America, but we've yet to see it compete so it's hard to rank the team; expectations are high with this roster.

29. Unicorns of Love

League: EU LCS

Following a victory at IEM San Jose in 2016, UoL upgraded their jungle position with Andrei "Xerxe" Dragomir, a player likely to follow in Fabian "Exileh" Schubert's footsteps. On the other hand, Kim "Veritas" Kyoung-min's departure is a setback, and Samuel "Samux" Fernández will be hard-pressed to emulate the former AD carry's prowess.

30. BBQ Olivers

League: LCK

2017 signals not only a title change from ESC Ever to BBQ Olivers, but a significant shake-up down bottom with Kim "Key" Han-gi and Lee "LokeN" Dong-wook both leaving. KeY was already being phased out, but losing LokeN as the team's main carry is bound to sting unless new AD carry Jang "Ghost" Yong-jun steps up huge.

Struggling

31. Team Liquid

League: NA LCS

Like its Dignitas peers, Team Liquid received a massive purchase deal from sports owners in 2016, but its offseason results don't necessarily show that. The team's new lineup looks okay for domestic competition and can certainly compete for middle of the pack, but Austin "Link" Shin and Greyson "Goldenglue" Gilmer leave much to be desired in the mid lane; things won't bode well for Team Liquid early.

32. Misfits

League: EU LCS

Misfits' 2016 summer split performance in the Challenger series had LCS squads shivering - and for good reason, as Schalke 04's demise attests. Since then, Tristan "PowerOfEvil" Schrage and Lee "KaKAO" Byung-kwon have replaced Marcin "Selfie" Wolski and Kim "Wisdom" Tae-Wan, and many questions remain unanswered.

33. Giants Gaming

League: EU LCS

After a 2016 LCS summer season full of ups and downs, the organization rebuilt its roster around Na "Night" Gun-woo and Morgan "Hustlin" Granberg, bringing in rising powerhouses Jonas "Memento" Elmarghichi and Olof "Flaxxish" Medin, and the unproven Martin "HeaQ" Kordmaa. Giants may wreak havoc should they click and progress above expectations.

34. Newbee

League: LPL

Newbee's success in 2017 will rely on either of its two mid laners having a return to form after a disastrous previous campaign. Will it be former Chinese MVP Yu "Cool" Jia-Jun, former South Korean superstar Shin "Coco" Jin-yeong, or, just as likely, neither who lead Newbee to glory this spring?

35. Machi 17

League: LMS

Machi is in a great position to succeed in Spring, with J Team not fielding Chen "REFRA1N" Kuan-Ting and Hong Kong eSports being in a rebuilding phase. It has the talent to capitalize, but Machi has yet to prove that it has the resolve.

36. FlyQuest

League: NA LCS

The Cloud9 Challenger roster has a new name, new logo, and a new owner in Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Wesley Edens. The only roster change from its roster bout is Galen "Moon" Holgate in its jungle, and while that's a massive hit, the team has some of the best strategic players the region has seen in Hai "Hai" Du Lam and Daerek "LemonNation" Hart.

37. Vici Gaming

League: LPL

Who is going to carry on this team? Vici, on paper, looks nice, but it has the attack power of a man running at you with a plastic spork. The addition of Bae "Bengi" Seong-woong will be interesting; we've seen him be the piece that puts a great team over the top, but is he really the type of player that can take an average team to the top? 2017 will tell us a lot about Bengi's individual legacy, for better or for worse.

38. LGD Gaming

League: LPL

Gu "Imp" Seung-bin and Wei "We1less" Zhen are good-to-great players in the LPL. The rest of the team, including former all-star Chen "Pyl" Bo? The jury is still out, supposedly trying to figure out who Park "Croc" Jong-hoon, LGD's new jungler, is.

39. J Team

League: LMS

J Team disappointed at IEM Gyeonggi, but at the very least, Chang "BeBe" Bo-Wei and Chu "FoFo" Chun-Lan proved to still be a significant carry force. Chen "Morning" Kuan-Ting and Chen "Achie" Chen-Chi are big question marks, but even their erratic performances will be enough to remain relevant.

40. Vitality

League: EU LCS

Vitality have a promising squad, but if potential visa issues affecting Lee "GBM" Chang-seok and Ha "Hachani" Seung-chan become a reality, this may hurt the team's season early on.

Bottom of the barrel

41. Team ROCCAT

League: EU LCS

The organization with a knack for enigmatic and hit-or-miss lineups has done it again, with Petter "Hjärnan" Freyschuss, Nubar "Maxlore" Sarafian and Felix "Betsy" Edling. Will this lineup replicate the success of ex-KMT, or will it sink to the bottom, repeating its 2016 Summer Split failures?

42. Team EnVyUs

League: NA LCS

Team EnVyUs filling its vacant roles with Nam "LirA" Tae-yoo and Apollo "Apollo" Price brings up the problems it had in 2016: communication issues and teamwork. While LirA is an upgrade, Apollo is a significant downgrade, which makes their bottom lane among the worst in the league.

43. Echo Fox

League: NA LCS

Echo Fox made three roster changes this offseason, including the addition of 2014 World Champion Jang "Looper" Hyeong-seok and two North Americans in Matthew "Akaadian" Higginbotham and Austin "Gate" Yu. The team will be better than last year, where they came in last, but communication issues with Looper and mediocre talent across the board send this team to the bottom of the rankings.

44. Game Talents

League: LPL

Game Talents have a cool logo, and Bong "Republic" Geun-tae is a pretty good mid laner. Besides those two things, we don't have much to say.

45. Origen

League: EU LCS

Considering the level of competition brought forth in Europe, this unit may be in dire straits in the current split. Survival in the LCS is their mission.

46. Hong Kong Esports

League: LMS

HKE has initiated its own youth movement, finally ridding itself of problem players, Xue "DinTer" Hong-Wei and Kim "Olleh" Joo-sung. However, experience is still important and the team will suffer from a lack of it to start the season.

47. Wayi Spider

League: LMS

A formerly strong trio of ex-Midnight Sun players makes this team interesting, but player caliber is always questionable after a year away from competitive play. This team can be really good, but it's too early to really believe that right now.

48. OMG

League: LPL

'Member when OMG 3-0'ed a South Korean team at Worlds? I 'member ... that was a long, long time ago.

49. Fireball

League: LMS

Fireball is known to have one of the best logos in the five major regions, but its appeal mostly ends there. AD prospect Wong "Unified" Chun Kit is someone to get excited over, but it's unlikely that will propel the team alone.

50. eXtreme Gamers

League: LMS

eXtreme Gamers has perpetually been ranked toward the bottom since its induction into the LMS. Unfortunately, with star player Tsou "SuwaKo" Wei-Yang role-swapping to AD and Lin "Chingz" Cheng-Ying (formerly known as "Aching") taking over mid in his stead, that trend will continue.