Worlds 2026 Power Rankings: every team ranked by DPM Esports

Worlds 2026 is about to kick off, and the whole DPM Esports team has voted on the 19 teams heading to the biggest stage of the year. Recent form weighed heavily in the ballots. International experience and each roster’s track record at Worlds counted too, because a dominant summer at home doesn’t always survive the trip to the international stage. The score next to each team is its average ranking across all votes, so lower is better. Some places came down to a few tenths of a point, while others reflect near-unanimity.

1. Gen.G — Average rating: 1.2

Gen.G

2. Hanwha Life Esports — Average rating: 2.6

The MSI champions are as strong as ever, built around solo lanes that rank among the best in the world. Back-to-back 3-1 defeats in the LCK playoffs do little to dent their status as title contenders. Choi "Zeus" Woo-je and Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong also know exactly what it takes to win this tournament from their T1 days, and that experience will count in the decisive series.

Key player: Zeus. His lane dominance is a given, and his willingness to pull out less traditional picks has already carried games and Fearless Bo5s.

3. T1 — Average rating: 3.0

Doubting T1 at Worlds has rarely ended well. Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and Mun "Oner" Hyeon-jun have looked short of their best this year, but T1 can count on the best bot lane in the world, one capable of beating any team on its own. A seventh title is very much in play. They sit 0.4 behind HLE and just 0.2 ahead of BLG.

Key player: Keria. Arguably the greatest support of all time, he combines original picks with outrageous mechanics and a stranglehold on his lane. T1 will need a huge Keria to make it seven.

4. Bilibili Gaming — Average rating: 3.2

The First Stand winners have been through plenty this year, with repeated changes in the top lane and internal issues along the way. The roster remains extremely solid regardless, anchored by a dominant bot lane in which Luo "ON" Wen-jun is one of the only supports able to match Keria’s madness at the highest level.

Key player: Knight. Often regarded as the best mid laner in the world this year, he is a complete player who dominates his lane. On Ahri and Akali, very few can match him right now.

5. G2 Esports — Average rating: 5.8

G2 are the best Western team heading into Worlds and have proved more than once that they can topple giants. With Rudy "Skewmond" Semaan and Labros "Labrov" Papoutsakis never more dominant as a duo, they carry the heaviest expectations of any European side and look genuinely capable of an upset. The 2.6-point gap separating them from BLG is still the largest in the top ten, a reminder of how much ground the West has to make up.

Key player: Caps. The European GOAT is one of the few players who can match Asia’s best in big games. His experience and map reading will decide how far G2 go.

6. Anyone’s Legend — Average rating: 6.2

The LPL champions arrive as a top seed after finally beating a BLG side they had not taken down since February. Their game is brutally simple: stabilise the lanes and protect Lee "Tarzan" Seung-yong’s pathing, then take every dragon on offer. Drag them into a slow, soul-or-nothing grind and they will choke you out in front-to-back teamfights, which makes them one of the most fundamentally solid teams in the field and a real threat in the knockout stage.

Key player: Tarzan. Arguably the most complete jungler in the world, he shapes AL’s entire identity through his read of the map, from neutral early games to perfectly timed objective setups. He is this team’s playmaker, and AL’s win conditions will run through him.

7. Dplus KIA — Average rating: 6.6

DK play a chaotic, aggressive brand of League that, backed by their raw talent, could take them to the very top. That same chaos has cost them more than once this year, with inexperience showing in the key moments, and it falls to Heo "ShowMaker" Su to show the youngsters the way.

Key player: Smash. The most hyped prospect to come out of T1 Academy kept impressing all season. His inexperience still shows at times, but his mechanics and aggression let him carry a game by himself.

8. Karmine Corp — Average rating: 8.8

KC are the definition of a streaky team: when everything clicks, their early‑game proactivity, mechanical ceiling and coordinated 5v5s make them look like a genuine dark‑horse contender; when it doesn’t, the same aggression turns into thrown leads, shaky executions around objectives and puzzling collapses in winning games. If they survive play‑ins and manage to stabilise their mid and late‑game decision‑making, they have the tools to snowball momentum into a real Worlds run.

Key player: Caliste. The French prodigy finally debuts at Worlds as KC’s franchise AD carry. At his best, he combines elite mechanics, draft flexibility and explosive teamfighting with Busio – but his tendency to over‑force in clutch fights has already cost KC series. How well he cleans up those moments will largely define this team’s ceiling.

9. LYON — Average rating: 9.0

LYON are a solid NA side who can lean on their carries to perform and have the level to escape the Swiss stage. Their recent dip in form has nonetheless highlighted clear flaws, especially when opponents are disciplined enough to match their slow pace and quietly outgrind them.

Key player: Inspired

10. Invictus Gaming — Average rating: 9.6

The LPL’s fourth seed bring one of the clearest identities in the field, pushing every lane and making play after play in the conviction that they can out-tempo anyone, whatever the game state.

Key player: Rookie. He is no longer a rookie, and his legendary reunion with TheShy has completely changed IG’s dynamic. His experience at the highest level is irreplaceable. Handling control mages as well as anyone in the world and rising to the big moments. If IG are to turn their relentless map pressure into a deep run, it will be with Rookie anchoring their teamfights and mid-game calls.

11. Team Liquid – 10.4

The LCS Summer champions sit in an odd spot in the ballots: 1.6 points behind KC in 8th, and exactly 1.6 ahead of TES. Experience is what this roster lacks most. Even so, Liquid play a genuinely elegant brand of League, especially on the map, where their rotations are a pleasure to watch. They have the level to reach the quarterfinals, and possibly more if their upward trend continues. TL’s recent international history is far from glorious, though, and they’ll need to slay a few old demons to change the story this time.

Key player: Josedeodo. He is a high-IQ jungler, one of the best Lee Sin and Qiyana players in the world, and an outstanding mechanical talent who thrives in the clutch. If a 50/50 smite decides the game, bet on him.

12. Top Esports – 12.0

TES finished 7th-8th in Split 3 and only qualified as the LPL’s third seed through the Regional Finals. A top-two finish in Split 2 had promised better, before yet another humbling at MSI with losses to G2 and then Secret Whales. For a core so used to choking internationally, that’s hardly an encouraging sign heading into Worlds. On paper, they have the level for the quarterfinals, but going further would be an upset given their form. A 1-3 Swiss exit wouldn’t shock anyone if old traumas resurface. They’ll also play the tournament with Bai "369" Jia-Hao stepping in for Cheng "ZUIAN" Zi-Hao, even though 369 hasn’t played solo queue since April. TES sit 1.6 behind Liquid and a full point ahead of MKOI.

Key player: Creme. He has become this team’s franchise player and is arguably its most consistent member, even on the international stage. With AD carry mids back in the meta, the very picks that made his name in his early TES days, he’ll be a real threat.

13. Movistar KOI – 13.0

MKOI finished 2nd in the LEC Summer after a miraculous run. Their regular season was so poor that their fate was out of their hands on the final day. After two top-three finishes in Winter and Spring, followed by a rout at the EWC, the team looked mentally broken. Yet in the playoffs, they emerged as the best team on the map in Europe after G2, and even swept KC 3-0, the team that had bullied them all year. Still, this roster feels like it has reached the end of its cycle. “Last dance” keeps coming up, along with doubts about individual quality outside mid and jungle. Expectations are low for a team with no real future together, whose recent international showings never convinced. Their first goal is to beat an Asian team and improve on the last three years. Escaping the Swiss stage would already exceed expectations. They sit one point behind TES and 0.6 ahead of Cloud9.

Key player: Jojopyun. His laning is among the best in the world. When he converts his lead cleanly, either by impacting the map or pressing his advantage on a side lane, he definitely is this team’s X-factor.

14. Cloud9 – 13.6

C9 finished 3rd in the LCS Summer. They beat LYON, then suffered the payback in the lower bracket in Atlanta. The roster mixes promising, consistent talents in Park "Thanatos" Seung-gyu and Lee "Loki" Sang-min with flippier players in Robert "Blaber" Huang and Edward "Tactical" Ra, who are capable of the best and the worst. When well prepared and reading their opponents correctly, Cloud9 can beat any Western team. When they aren’t, they can lose to anyone. First, they have to get out of the play-ins against KC. Being competitive in the Swiss stage and knocking KC out along the way would already make this an encouraging tournament for a roster rebuilt in a rush for Summer, with such young and inexperienced solo laners. They sit just 0.6 behind MKOI, with a 1.6-point cushion over Secret Whales.

Key player: Blaber. He can lose the thread of a game when behind and drag his team down with him. He can also turn one won skirmish into a snowball that leaves opponents nothing.

15. Secret Whales – 15.2

On paper, Secret Whales are unquestionably the non-LEC/LCS team best placed to topple an Asian side, since they already did it by beating TES 3-1 at MSI. They also dominated the LCP all year, winning all three titles. Now they have to prove they’re worthy heirs to last year’s CFO. The last time they reached that level at MSI, LYON swept them 3-0 right after. Beating an Asian team and being competitive against the best would already count as a success. If their progress is real, they could pull off an upset and reach the quarterfinals, though a strong Swiss run is more realistic given the field. They sit 1.6 behind Cloud9 and 1.4 clear of CFO.

Key player: Hizto

16. CTBC Flying Oyster – 16.6

This is no longer the team that delivered a legendary MSI and reached the Worlds quarterfinals last year: only Chiu "Doggo" Tzu-Chuan and Hsu "Rest" Shih-Chieh remain. It was a much tougher year for CFO, ending with 2nd place in the final split, after a 0-3 loss to Secret Whales in the final. Expectations are minimal. CFO are here to put on a good showing and stay competitive, but a deep run looks very unlikely given the gap that still separates them from the Whales. They sit 1.4 behind Secret Whales and only 0.2 ahead of FURIA.

Key player: Doggo. He turned heads at last year’s Worlds and returns to the big stage in good form after a strong Summer. A Draven buff also landed just in time for the tournament.

17. FURIA – 16.8

The CBLOL runners-up edge out LOS by 0.6 points. They have more international experience, and the two teams are very close in level, as their 3-2 final showed. Escaping the play-ins against KC and Cloud9, whom FURIA already shocked at the Americas Cup, would already be a fine achievement for Brazil’s second seed. Beyond that, they’ll likely lack the fundamentals and mid-game composure in teamfights to go further.

Key player: Ayu. Everything runs through him. FURIA funnel resources bot side so he can take over fights, a bit like Peyz at T1. Once he’s ahead, the “Mechanical Beast” takes care of the rest.

18. LOS – 17.4

LOS are the CBLOL champions after dominating the final split, capping a strong year that also included a top-two finish in the first split. They arrive in unusual circumstances: they only finished their promotion tournament to keep their CBLOL spot on October 12, right after winning the title. As with FURIA, this young roster is mainly at its first international event to gain experience. They’ll likely lack the fundamentals and mid-game composure in teamfights to go further. Compared to FURIA, they have a bit more individual and mechanical talent but less experience. They sit 0.6 behind FURIA and 1.6 ahead of MVK.

Key player: Zest. He always wins his lanes, stays remarkably consistent and reliable when put on strongside, and ranks among his team’s top damage dealers.

19. MVK – 19.0

MVK sit at the very bottom of this ranking, and for good reason. After years of nonstop roster shuffles, The 3rd LCP representative finally arrive at Worlds with a locked five-man unit, but their identity is a painfully slow, low-tempo style that collapses the moment their players are left on an island. In a play-in environment full of sharper early games and cleaner macro from LCS, LEC, and CBLOL sides, their passive approach and frequent individual mistakes make it hard to imagine them surviving the first stage.

Key player: Harky. He’s the one giving this team any real upside. Comfortable flexing between bot lane mages and standard marksmen, Harky is MVK’s most consistent late-game threat and their best teamfighter. Even so, unless he and Sulong can completely take over lanes and skirmishes, this looks like a team destined to bow out in play-ins rather than make a surprise run.