The top 10 esports orgs in the world in 2023

June 5, 2023

by Brian Bencomo

Which esports organization is the best in the world? If you’re searching for an answer based purely on competitive results, Nerd Street’s got it covered. Last year, OpTic Gaming finished atop Nerd Street’s rankings. Who will it be this year?

Using a points metric, Nerd Street’s monthly rankings seek to objectively quantify the best orgs across all esports by measuring success in 10 prominent games: League of Legends, VALORANT, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League, Apex Legends, Dota 2, Rainbow Six: Siege, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Halo.

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In our system, orgs are awarded points based on their finishes in various international and domestic competitions. Since every esport has a distinct league and tournament structure, it might take 1,000 words just to explain the full breakdown for each -- and let’s be honest, you’re mostly here for the ranking anyway.

Loosely speaking, though, winning a world championship earns the highest number of points; reaching a final or making the final stages of a major international tournament is worth a decent amount; qualifying for an international event also scores some points; and performing well at a regional competition will result in a few points, but doesn’t hold nearly as much weight. To crack the top 10 of these rankings, a team needs to have at least reached the final of a major international tournament.

One more detail worth mentioning: orgs sometimes pick up dropped or unsigned rosters just ahead of major events. Out of fairness, those orgs don’t receive points for qualifying for the event -- but they do earn points for how their new teams perform at the event.

Oftentimes, orgs field outstanding teams in only a single game, but the truly great orgs have teams that are competitive in, and win titles, in multiple esports. Nearly midway through the year, these have been the very best esports orgs in the world in 2023.

1. FaZe Clan

Photo credit: Helena Kristiansson / ESL

This organization nearly finished No. 1 in Nerd Street’s rankings last year, and FaZe are on top of these rankings heading to the midway point of 2023 with strong results across multiple games. FaZe’s CS:GO team is leading the way for the org this year and picked up where it left off last year by winning the ESL Pro League Season 17. The tournament win was particularly significant because it also meant FaZe won the Intel Grand Slam. FaZe won $1 million for their fourth S-Tier tournament win across 10 S-tier events organized by ESL dating back to last year.

In other games, Atlanta FaZe won the second Major of the season in the Call of Duty League. It ended a tournament drought for FaZe that included multiple second-place finishes last year after winning the 2021 Call of Duty League Championship. FaZe placed second at the fifth Major and finished atop the CDL standings heading to the Call of Duty League Championship this month. In Halo, FaZe were champions of the HCS Global Event at Dreamhack Dallas this month to win their first big Halo Championship Series tournament. FaZe's Rocket League team also deserves recognition for finishing second at the RLCS Winter Major, marking their best-ever finish at an RLCS international event.

2. Team Liquid

Photo credit: Riot Games

Team Liquid broke through for their biggest win of the year last month when they won the inaugural split of the VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA league. They beat a Fnatic team that had previously been unbeaten this year and head to Masters Tokyo as one of the favorites. Team Liquid’s women’s VALORANT team won the first Game Changers Series in Brazil this year. The team was the best in Brazil last year and is looking to once again qualify for the Game Changers Championship later in the year.

Team Liquid also have experienced success in other games, but the org’s teams have fallen short of winning championships in those games. In Dota, TL have experienced much heartbreak as they have finished second to Gaimin Gladiators at both the Lima and Berlin Majors. TL also finished second at the Rainbow Six Copenhagen Major. TL’s CS:GO team has been one of the best teams in the Americas, reaching the playoffs at IEM Katowice, ESL Pro League Season 17 and the Paris Major. In Rocket League, Team Liquid achieved their best-ever finish as they reached the semifinals of the RLCS Winter Major.

3. G2 Esports

Photo credit: Helena Kristiansson / ESL

G2 separated themselves early this year with wins at IEM Katowice, the Six Invitational and the LEC Winter Playoffs. In fact, the organization won these three titles in CS:GO, Rainbow Six and League of Legends over the span of two weeks. It was the first time G2 won IEM Katowice, the org’s second Six invitational title and yet another LEC title for the European juggernauts.

Read more: G2 win IEM Katowice 2023

The Katowice title was a continuation of the org’s dominance in CS:GO since late last year when G2 won the Blast World Final. In fact, G2 nearly had a perfect run in Katowice, racking up a 21-map win streak and only dropping one map at the tournament. The Rainbow Six title was the most unlikely of the trifecta. G2 were not one of the top ranked teams heading into Rainbow Six’s world championship event, but they went on an epic lower bracket run, winning six consecutive matches while facing elimination to reach the final and ultimately capture the title. The LEC winter title was yet another League of Legends domestic title for the winningest organization in European League of Legends. Besides these three titles early in the year, G2’s women’s VALORANT team took home the first Game Changers title for the EMEA region in May. G2 Gozen were world champions last year, and after a strong start to regional play, they look like the favorites to repeat this year.

4. Fnatic

Photo credit: Riot Games

Fnatic won VCT LOCK//IN to finally capture their first international tournament victory in VALORANT since finishing second at the first-ever global VALORANT tournament in 2021. Fnatic have established themselves as the team to beat in 2023, but they did fall short of winning the VCT EMEA league as they lost in the final to Team Liquid. They still will enter Masters Tokyo as the favorite as they attempt to become the first VALORANT team to win multiple international titles.

In Apex Legends, Fnatic finished eighth at the ALGS Split 1 Playoffs after winning the first split of the season in the APAC North region. They also won the second split of the year in the APAC North region and will be among the favorites at the Split 2 playoffs.

5. Team Vitality

Photo credit: Blast

Team Vitality’s victory at the CS:GO Paris Major will be remembered for many reasons. First, it was the fact that the French organization won the Major in front of their home fans in the French capital. Second, this was the final CS:GO Major, which gives their victory a sense of finality. Finally, it was a record fifth Major victory for Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen and the first for Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut, who has long been considered one of the best players in the game. The Major win was the second of back-to-back titles for Vitality after the team won IEM Rio the previous month.

Although Vitality have made their mark in CS:GO this year, the French organization is racking up accolades in Rocket League too. Vitality qualified for the RLCS Winter Major earlier this year, and became the first team to qualify for the Spring Major after consecutive wins in European regional events.

6. LOUD

Photo credit: Riot Games

LOUD have rapidly established themselves as the premier Brazilian esports organization this year with success in both VALORANT and League of Legends. In VALORANT, LOUD finished second at VCT LOCK//IN and then won the inaugural season of the VCT Americas league. They are heading to Masters Tokyo where they will be among the favorites to win the next international VALORANT tournament. In League, LOUD won the first split of the year in Brazil’s CBLoL and made an appearance at the Mid-Season Invitational.

7. TSM

Photo credit: EA

TSM’s Apex Legends team has established itself as the best in the world halfway through the ALGS 2022-23 season. TSM were champions of North America for Split 1 of the region’s Pro League and then world champions after winning the ALGS Split 1 Playoffs. TSM also have put up strong results in Dota 2, as the team has qualified for both Majors so far this year and won the first two tours of the top North American league.

8. NRG

Photo credit: Riot Games

NRG don’t have any major titles this year, but they have come close in Apex Legends and VALORANT. NRG’s Apex team finished second to TSM at the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs. In VALORANT, NRG finished second to LOUD in the 2023 VCT Americas league and have qualified for Masters Tokyo.

9. Heroic

Photo credit: Michal Konkol / ESL

Earlier this year, this organization recently raised enough money to save it from going under, which is a very good thing for the org’s CS:GO team. Heroic finished second to G2 at IEM Katowice and second to Team Vitality at IEM Rio. They have been one of the best CS:GO teams in the world since late last year, but are just missing that big tournament win. The org also fielded a playoff team at the Six invitational.

10. Gaimin Gladiators

Photo credit: Viola Schuldner / ESL

Gaimin Gladiators have won the Lima Major, Berlin Major and Dreamleague Season 19 to definitely establish themselves as the best Dota 2 team in the world so far this year. Outside of Dota, the organization’s other notable result has come in Rocket League, where Gaimin Gladiators were the sole representatives of the APAC region at the RLCS Winter Major.

The next 10

These 10 teams have all put up notable results this year but haven’t quite done enough to crack the top 10. JD Gaming were the champions of the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational, and they also were champions of China’s LPL. OpTic won the first Halo Major of the year and picked up back-to-back second place finishes at Call of Duty Majors. Gen.G and Cloud9 were both League of Legends champions in their respective regional leagues, and Cloud9 also had a second-place finish at the CS:GO ESL Pro League while Gen.G has been putting together a strong season in Rocket League. Overactive Media includes MAD Lions, who were European regional champions in League of Legends and the Toronto Ultra, who won a Call of Duty Major this year.

111. Natus Vincere

12. Evil Geniuses

13. Gen.G

14. T1

15. Complexity Gaming

16. OpTic Gaming

17. JD Gaming

18. Cloud9

19. Overactive Media

20. w7m Esports

Lead photo credit: Helena Kristiansson / ESL