Ranking all the teams at the RLCS Winter Split Major

The second Rocket League Championship Series major of the 2021-22 season begins Wednesday. The Winter Split Major will bring 16 of the top orgs from across the globe together in Los Angeles to determine the best team in the world. So, how does the competition stack up? Heading into the Fall Major, we didn’t have a very good idea of how teams from different regions would fare against one another. With that tournament in the books though, we now have a better grasp of what to expect in international play.

Using a points metric to assign points based on performance at the last major, during the winter split and throughout the entire 2021-22 season, as well as bonus points based on the strength of the region that team is from, we’ve put together a power ranking of all 16 teams competing in the Winter Major. Placement at the Fall Major and regional strength carry the most weight since they are the best indicators of how good teams are relative to each other, while performance during the winter split and in regional competitions are less important for the purpose of these rankings.

Here’s how points were assigned to calculate these rankings:

RLCS Fall Major points:

Placement at the Fall Major got a team anywhere from two to 20 points. Teams that were not at the Fall Major get zero points for this category.

Regional points:

Teams from Europe and North America performed best at the Fall Major, but some of the NA and EU teams in LA were not at the Fall Major, so regional points are the logical method to represent these teams accordingly in the rankings. Europe proved to be the best region in the major, so European teams receive a bonus of 15 points, North American teams get 12, Middle East and North Africa teams get six, Oceania teams get three, South America teams get one and Asia-Pacific teams get zero.

Winter split points:

Teams that finished first in their respective regional winter rankings pick up five points, with each subsequent placement earning one fewer point, ending with the fifth-place team receiving one.

Season points:

Teams that are at the top of their respective region’s season rankings are awarded 10 points, with each subsequent placement earning one fewer point, ending with the 10th-place team receiving one.

Using these points metrics, with regional strength as a tiebreaker, here’s how the 16 Winter Major teams are ranked.

16. DeToNator

12 points

DeToNator are a Japanese team that upset Tokyo Verdy Esports, the APAC team that qualified for the Fall Major. Considering Tokyo Verdy went 0-3 and 0-9 on maps at the event, there isn’t much reason to believe DeToNator belong anywhere higher than this ranking.

15. Team Secret

15 points

Although Team Secret finished ahead of fellow South American club FURIA Eports in the winter regional rankings, they are unproven on the international stage. FURIA’s appearance at the Fall Major gives them a leg up over the only other SAM team on their way to LA.

14. Pioneers

15 points

Similar to Team Secret, the Pioneers are unproven on the international stage. Although the two clubs are tied in points for these rankings, the Pioneers receive slightly higher placement because OCE teams fared better than SAM teams at the Fall Major.

13. Version1

19 points

Version1 are the lowest-ranked North American squad tin these rankings, and admittedly, this might be too low. But with five NA teams and five EU teams, not everybody from these regions is going to crack the top half of the rankings. Version1 did defeat NRG in the final at the third winter regional event, but beyond that, they haven’t accomplished as much as the competition, which is why they’re here.

12. FURIA

20 points

Photo credit: Epic Games

FURIA’s appearance in the Fall Major gives them an edge over the other South American team that will be in LA, and it gives them a slight edge over an NA team as well. They also beat G2, an NA team, at the last major, so there’s potential for them to make some noise at the Winter Major.

11. Spacestation

20 points

Though they did not win any winter regional events, Spacestation have a slightly higher season ranking than Version1, which is why they’re two spots ahead in the rankings. And like Version1, they were not at the Fall Major, so there’s little indication of how well they might do on the international stage other than the fact they’re from a strong NA region.

10. Evil Geniuses

21 points

Evil Geniuses can be grouped into the same category as Version1 and Spacestation. These are teams that come from strong regions but have not played in an international LAN yet. EG crack the top 10 because European teams proved to be a bit better than their North American counterparts at the last major.

9. Renegades

26 points

Renegades enjoy a somewhat lofty position in these rankings despite coming from OCE because they managed to win two games at the Fall Major, including one over European opponent Endpoint. They were among the three two-win teams that just missed the playoffs at the event. Given that experience, it wouldn’t at all be surprising if they manage to emerge from group play to reach the playoffs this time around.

8. Team Queso

27 points

This might be too low for Team Queso, seeing as they were far and away the best team in the best region in the world during the winter split. They won two European regional events and finished second in another. In terms of their ranking, however, this is where a lack of international experience hurts them, as missing out on the Fall Major is why they’re not higher in this ranking.

7. G2 Esports

32 points

Photo credit: Epic Games

G2 may have missed the playoffs at the Fall Major, but they are coming off a strong winter split in which they were victorious in one regional event. Plus, they’ve had a strong season overall so far. Their appearance at the last major puts them one spot ahead of Team Queso.

6. Sandrock Gaming

33 points

Despite hailing from a region that had not previously competed at an RLCS international event, Sandrock Gaming proved themselves in the fall. They reached the playoffs at the major, notching wins over G2, FURIA and Ground Zero Gaming. It’s questionable how strong their region actually is, but their performance on the international stage does not appear to be a fluke.

5. Endpoint

37 points

At the Fall Major, Endpoint were one of two teams to beat NRG. The other was eventual-champion Team BDS. And while Endpoint also lost to BDS, it was a close 3-2. They clearly belong right there in the conversation with the best teams in the world and are certainly a contender to win it all in LA.

4. FaZe Clan

39 points

FaZe Clan had an impressive Fall Major run in which they were the only team to beat Team BDS. They also beat Endpoint in the playoffs before finally falling to NRG. With this resume, there are few teams in the world that have proven to be superior this season.

3. Dignitas

40 points

Like FaZe, Dignitas are one of the best teams in the world, but the fact they’re from a slightly stronger European region gives them an edge. At the Fall Major, Dig looked primed for a championship run after they ran the table and didn’t lose so much as a single map in the Swiss stage. A heartbreaking 4-3 loss to fellow European team SMPR Esports in the quarterfinals abruptly ended their run.

2. NRG

45 points

Photo credit: Epic Games

NRG have been the best NA team all season and fell just short of winning the Fall Major. They’re the clear-cut second-best club heading into the major. They did look a little shaky in the Swiss stage of the Fall Major, but when the dust settled, NRG were once again in a final at a major and one win away from being crowned the best team in the world.

1. Team BDS

48 points

Team BDS won the Fall Major, they play in the toughest region and have been having an outstanding season overall, so there’s no question they deserve to be No. 1 in these rankings. Yes, Team Queso might have been better in the winter, but BDS have proven themselves online and onstage. Until another team beats them at a LAN, they’re the best in the world.

Lead photo credit: Epic Games