North America’s Top Ten Teams Post ESL One Cologne

Ranking System

1. Rankings will be assessed based on team results in the past 100 days. For this specific list, only tournaments which started on April 1 and afterwards will be considered.
2. Tournament placings will be evaluated with respect to the wins accrued at that tournament.
3. Best-of-three wins will be valued more highly than best-of-one victories. Wins versus stronger competition will be valued more highly than wins over weaker competition. Winning one game in lost best-of-three series is a positive result, but won’t be evaluated as highly as a best-of-one win. Splitting 1-1 in best-of-two will be given less weight than a best-of-one win versus comparable competition but will be given more weight than a 1-2 best-of-three defeat.
4. Losses will not negatively affect rank.
5. Online results will only be considered in terms of qualification. To qualify for a LAN via an online qualifier is a positive result, but the specific feats required to enable that qualification won’t be given further consideration due to the flaws inherent to online competition.  Being invited to a LAN is not an achievement in itself as invites are rarely distributed on the basis of team strength alone.  
6. A roster changing organizations will not influence rank. A roster will only be divorced from their past results if two or more members of a team change. 

#1. Team Liquid (+2)

• DreamHack Malmö: top-16
  •  No wins
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: DNQ
• DreamHack Austin: top-four
  • Best-of-one win over Selfless
  • Best-of-three win over Selfless
  • Alternative lineup so result is not considered
• ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals: top-six
  • Best-of-three win over Cloud9
  • Alternative lineup
• ELEAGUE Week 1: Fourth
  • No wins
  • Alternative Lineup
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: DNA
• ECS Finals: top-six
  • Best-of-one win over G2
  • 1-2 best-of-three loss to G2
• ESL One Cologne: Second
  • Best-of-one win over EnVyUs
  • Best-of-three wins over mousesports, Na’vi, and Fnatic

Liquid’s performance at this past Major may have been the best performance of any North American team at top-level international event in the history of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. While Liquid’s top four at MLG Columbus has dropped out of consideration due to the 100 day time window, their superlative second place showing in Cologne gives them a better overall record than OpTic, who topped the tables in my previous post-ECS rankings. Liquid’s best-of-three wins over mousesports, Na’vi, and Fnatic, as well as their single map victories over G2 and EnVyUs clearly trump OpTic’s performances over the same period.  

#2. OpTic Gaming (-1)

• DreamHack Malmö: DNQ
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: top-six
  • Best-of-three win over Splyce
• DreamHack Austin: Did not attend (DNA)
• ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals: top-six
  •  Best-of-one win over Astralis
• Second Americas Minor: First
  • Best-of-one wins over WinOut and Selfless
  • Best-of-three win over TSM
  • Two best-of-three wins over Tempo Storm
• ELEAGUE Week 2: Fourth
  • 2-4 in groups
  • Two wins over Selfless
  • 1-2 in best-of-three against NiP
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: Secured qualification
  • Best-of-one wins over FLuffy Gangsters, FlipSid3, and HellRaisers
• ECS Finals: DNQ
• ESL One Cologne: top-16
  •  Zero wins

For a moment, it looked like OpTic could reign supreme in a dilapidated North American scene, but the sudden reemergence of Liquid has deprived them of the throne. OpTic accumulated zero wins at the Major while Team Liquid cobbled together another historic performance. Regardless, OpTic next immediate challengers in Cloud9 and TSM were unable to qualify for the major, let alone put up any results, so OpTic’s position over them remains unchanged. For quite a while longer, OpTic’s splash of victories in their qualification run, including two best-of-three wins over Tempo Storm, will keep them up near the top of the table in North America.

#3. Cloud9 (-1)

• DreamHack Malmö: DNQ
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: DNQ
• DreamHack Austin: top-four
  • Best-of-one win over CLG
  • Best-of-three win over CLG
  • 1-2 best-of-three loss to Tempo Storm
• ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals: top-eight
  •  Zero wins
• Second Americas Minor: DNA
• ELEAGUE week one: Second
  • 3-3 in groups
  • 1-1 in best-of-two versus Renegades
  • Best-of-two win over Liquid
  • Best-of-two win over Renegades
  • 1-2 best-of-three loss to Luminosity
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: Did not secure qualification
  • Bo1 wins over Empire and TyLoo
• ECS Finals: top-six
  •  Best-of-three win over Astralis
• ESL One Cologne: DNQ

Cloud9 lose little as MLG Columbus falls out of the 100 day time period and Cloud9 failed to find any wins before they were eliminated back in March. However, C9 do drop a spot due to Liquid’s ridiculous run at ESL One Cologne. If Cloud9 continue to show mixed results from LAN, they may soon lose their perineal position at the upper end of NA. However, for now, Cloud9’s numerous best-of-three wins and more frequent tournament appearances continue to safely outweigh TSM’s more recent results.  

#4. Team SoloMid (+1)

• DreamHack Malmö: DNQ
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: DNQ
• DreamHack Austin: DNQ
• ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals: DNA
• Second Americas Minor: Third
  • Best-of-one win versus Kailber
  • Best-of-three wins over NRG and Selfless
  • 1-2 best-of-three loss to OpTic
• ELEAGUE week 4: Fourth
  • 0-6 in groups
  • 1-2 loss versus Fnatic in best-of-three
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: DNQ
• ECS Finals: top-four
  • Best-of-one win over Astralis
  • Best-of-three win over Cloud9
• ESL One Cologne: DNQ

With the removal of MLG Columbus from consideration and the appearance of CLG’s new lineup, TSM have moved into the top four. Now, TSM have more numerous national accomplishments from the Minor and a few international map wins under their belt thanks to ELEAGUE and ECS. Perhaps if CLG and had a couple of wins at Cologne, they could have retained their fourth place spot, but I think TSM come out ahead here by a safe margin. 

#5. Counter Logic Gaming (-1)

• DreamHack Malmö: top-12
  • Best-of-one win versus G2
  • Previous Lineup
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: DNQ
• DreamHack Austin: top-six
  • Best-of-three win over Splyce
  • Previous Lineup
• ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• Second Americas Minor: DNA
• ELEAGUE Week 3: Second
  • 1-1 best-of-two with NRG and SK
  • Best-of-three win over SK, 1-2 best-of-three loss to Astralis
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: DNA
• ECS Finals: DNQ
• ESL One Cologne: top-16
  •  Zero wins

CLG had opportunities at the Major in a weak Group A, but the degradation of their roster with the departure of Jacob “FugLy” Medinaand and Josh “jdm64″ Marzano proved to be too detrimental for them to succeed. Despite a long history of success within North America and a hot start to this year, CLG have officially met the middle of NA. While the possibility of radical roster changes looms large at the moment, CLG are also in danger of  sliding down to the sixth postion. But for now, Selfless’s best-of-three wins over WinOut and NRG do not outperform CLG’s best-of-three win over the old SK and single map wins over Astarlis, NRG, and SK.

#6. Selfless (-)

• DreamHack Malmö: DNQ
• Previous line-up
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: top-eight
  •  Zero wins
• DreamHack Austin: top-six
  •  Best-of-three win over NRG
• ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals: DNQ
• Second Americas Minor: Fourth
  • Best-of-one win over Winterfox
  • Best-of-three win over WinOut
• ELEAGUE week 2: Fourth
  • 0-6 in groups
  • Zero wins
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: DNQ
• ECS Finals: DNQ
• ESL Cologne 2016: DNQ

Selfless and their immediate competitors have not competed since the previous iteration of this ranking system, so they still hold their solidified position at the top of the bottom five North American teams.  

#7. Splyce (-)

• DreamHack Malmö: DNQ
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: top-eight
  • 1-2 best-of-three loss to Virtus.Pro
  • 1-2 best-of-three loss to OpTic
• DreamHack Austin: top-eight
  •  Zero Wins
  • Alternative lineup
• ESL Pro League Season 4 Finals: DNQ
• Second Americas Minor: DNA
• ELEAGUE: DNA
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: Did not secure qualification
  • Best-of-one win over Renegades
• ECS Finals: DNQ

• ESL Cologne: DNQ

This past week, Splyce announced the removal of Jason ‘jasonR’ Ruchelski from their starting lineup, which whittles them further down to just two players of their former five. Once Splyce competes on LAN with their new starting roster, they will be officially dissociated from their past results. For now, their three maps wins over international competition and more frequent tournament appearances continue to be a tad too much for Echo Fox.

#8. Echo Fox (-)

• DreamHack Malmö: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• DreamHack Austin: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• ESL Pro League Season 4 Finals: DNA
• Second Americas Minor: DNA
• ELEAGUE week five: Fourth
  •  2-4 in groups
  • 1-1 in Best-of-twos versus Na’Vi and FlipeSid3
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: DNA
• ECS Finals: DNQ
• ESL One Cologne: DNQ

Echo Fox’s map wins over Na’vi and Flipside continue to outweigh the singular successes of NRG and compLexity.

#9 compLexity Gaming (New)

• DreamHack Malmö: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• DreamHack Austin: top-eight DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• ESL Pro League Season 4 Finals: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• Second Americas Minor: DNA
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: DNA
• ECS Finals: DNQ
• ELEAGUE week seven: Fourth
  • 1-5 in groups
  • 1-1 in best-of-two versus Gambit
• ESL One Cologne: DNQ

compLexity’s single surprise win at ELEAGUE has earned them a place in the top ten, but their number nine spot is dicey as NRG and compLexity both have just one countable map win on LAN in the past 100 days. As both wins came from split best-of-two series, the NRG vs. compLexity comparison really turns into a proxy contest between CLG and Gambit. Recently, CLG performed far better than Gambit at ELEAGUE, but Gambit were able to make it out of CLG’s group A on the way to a quarter-final finish at the Major, which earns compLexity the nod here.

#10. NRG (-1)

• DreamHack Malmö: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• CEVO Gfinity Professional Season 9 Finals: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• DreamHack Austin: top-eight
  •  1-2 best-of-three loss to Selfless
  • Previous Lineup
• ESL Pro League Season 4 Finals: DNQ
  • Previous Lineup
• Second Americas Minor: top-six
  • Best-of-one win over Team Kaliber
  • 1-2 best-of-three loss to TSM
  • Previous Lineup
• ELEAGUE Week 2: Fourth
  • 1-5 in groups
  • 1-1 in best-of-two against CLG
• ESL Cologne Main Qualifier: DNQ
• ECS Finals: DNQ
• ESL One Cologne: DNQ

NRG are the only other North American team who have recorded a countable map win on LAN this year. Dropping down to the tenth spot may sting, but NRG may still feel honored to be considered to be a top North American squad given that three out their five players are European. 

For compliments or complaints you can find me on Twitter @WallabeeBeatle.