League of Legends global power rankings through July 20

Welcome back to our League of Legends global power rankings. Every week, we look at each team in the five major regions and rank them according to how they are performing.

We're starting with Week 7 of the North American/European League Championship Series, Week 8 of League Championships Korea, Week 7 of the League Pro League and Week 5 of the League Master Series. The +/- indicates change since the previous ranking.

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

Record: 10-3 (22-7) | League: LCK | +/-: no change

There is no real debate here, right? SKT T1 are the reigning champions of the big three international LoL events (Worlds, the Mid-Season Invitational, the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice) and trail only ROX due to playing one fewer game in the LCK standings. The team is starting to round into the form you'd expect from the heavy favorite to win its third Summoner's Cup in four years. T1 proved its gap in skill between the fourth-best South Korean team last night, Samsung Galaxy, in a relatively one-sided display of superiority.

2. ROX Tigers

Record: 11-3 (22-10) | League: LCK | +/-: +2

Second place behind SKT T1 is a common placement for the Tigers the past two years. The runner-up at the 2015 World Championships and last season's LCK, the Tigers have seemingly figured out how to overcome any obstacle, aside from Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and his organization.

3. Team SoloMid

Record: 14-0 (28-3) | League: NA LCS | +/-: no change

Let's stop acting like anyone knows what the second-best region in the world is. We've had two major international tournaments, and the only certainty is that SK Telecom T1 is the best team in the world. Royal Never Give Up and EDward Gaming are contenders for the title, but they haven't proven that they're better than TSM. This is our reasoning behind TSM's placement in the rankings. Read a more in-depth analysis here.

4. EDward Gaming

Record: 11-0 (22-5) | League: LPL | +/-: -2

EDward Gaming might have fallen in the rankings, but that's primarily a result of the recent successes of ROX and TSM and EDward's one-game loss to LGD Gaming. The latter shouldn't happen if it wants to keep on top, but business is still going well.

5. Royal Never Give Up

Record: 10-1 (21-5) | League: LPL | +/-: no change

Much like EDward Gaming, Royal Never Give Up showed its consistency as it took down China's worst team, Saint Gaming, this week. With the win, Royal remains where it should be, within the top five of the world's power rankings and the second-best team in China.

6. Immortals

Record: 13-1 (27-7) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +1

Still lacking when compared to TSM, Immortals is improved from the spring split. Although it needs better overall play with all five members and better drafting to challenge TSM for the title, the team's mechanical brilliance has been able to power it through the first seven weeks. Immortals is one of the top 10 teams in the world, but it'll need another dimension to its game to break into the top four.

7. KT Rolster

Record: 9-5 (21-14) | League: LCK | +/-: +2

If SKT T1 didn't exist, ROX would most likely be in the midst of a dynasty. If T1 and ROX didn't exist, KT Rolster would probably be in the midst of its own. The third-best team in South Korea throughout the past year-and-a-half, Rolster faces the same issues the Tigers have with SKT T1, but with the added bonus of needing to surpass the Tigers to become the best team in the world. In any other region, KT might be the top dog, but in South Korea? Not so simple.

8. Samsung Galaxy

Record: 9-5 (18-12) | League: LCK | +/-: no change

Samsung is in solid fourth-place position in South Korea. Galaxy is too good to be grouped with the likes of Afreeca and MVP fighting for the last postseason slot but hasn't been on the upswing long enough to fit with South Korea's "Big 3" of SKT, Tigers and KT.

9. J Team

Record: 6-2-0 | League: LMS | +/-: +1

J Team didn't put it all together but masterfully doubled down on its early game strength and macro play. To go 3-1 over Flash Wolves in one week is no easy feat, and the team showed a superior draft approach and generally more powerful side lanes. For the first time in a while, neither Flash Wolves nor ahq is on top.

10. Flash Wolves

Record: 6-1-1 | League: LMS | +/-: -4

The Wolves' complacency finally came out this week, showing multiple oversights in the draft phase in its games against J Team. However, the team came back with much smarter drafts in its second set against J Team and crushed one of the games. Flash Wolves has been dethroned, but for how long?

Playoff contenders

11. I May

Record: 7-4 (16-9) | League: LPL | +/-: +1

China's third-best team is moving up in the rankings, even after a loss to EDward Gaming. Its win over Snake Esports shows I May is still one of the best teams in China.

12. Team WE

Record: 7-4 (17-11) | League: LPL | +/-: +7

Team WE had a good week last week, as it took down Newbee convincingly. Team WE will have a shot in the playoffs, depending on its bracket, to show what it's really made of.

13. G2 Esports

Record: 7-7-0 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1

G2 Esports move up slightly in the rankings after a tie with Splyce and a victory over H2K Gaming. Europe as a region still looks the weakest it has ever been, but G2 looks only slightly ahead of the pack.

14. Fnatic

Record: 7-4-3 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1

Fnatic are just below its top European peer, G2 Esports, and that's mainly because of its loss in week five. With Kikis at the wheel, which has changed Fnatic's top lane picks, Fnatic doesn't look much better than it did before.

15. Afreeca Freecs

Record: 7-6 (15-15) | League: LCK | +/-: +1

In the battle for the final playoff spot in South Korea, it appears the rookies of last year, the formerly known Rebels Anarchy, are going to succeed over the top rookie team of this year in MVP. The Freecs that came off a spirited run last split to make the playoffs are doing the same thing in the second half this summer, and a first-round matchup against the likes of Samsung Galaxy could be winnable for the now playoff-experienced Afreeca.

16. Splyce

Record: 6-6-2 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +5

Moving up in the rankings again this week is Splyce, a team many did not expect to succeed. Splyce tied with G2 Esports, which shows that it can, in fact, compete with the best. Splyce have impressed, and it's now visible as it makes the run for third-best in Europe.

17. Ahq e-Sports Club

Record: 6-0-2 | League: LMS | +/-: +1

Sometimes ahq looks like a team returning to form, and sometimes the team looks flat-out lost. Ahq had hiccups in the early games against both XG and HKE but came back with superior mid-game decision-making. It's a concerning trend, but ahq had a pair of stomps to accompany the hard-fought victories.

18. Snake Esports

Record: 6-5 (13-12) | League: LPL | +/-: +2

Snake, alongside Team WE, are making a good case for the fourth- and fifth-best in China. It might have lost to I May, but it beat Vici Gaming and showed that it's plausible for the team to make the playoffs.

19. Counter Logic Gaming

Record: 7-7 (18-17) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +4

We're finally seeing the Mid-Season Invitational finalists look like, well, MSI finalists. The team has rallied late in the season and fixed the mid-lane problems that plagued it early on.

20. Team Liquid

Record: 8-6 (18-15) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -7

A top-two finish it won't be for Team Liquid this split. TSM and IMT have already locked up first-round byes, and TSM's dissection of Liquid shows the gap between the current top team in the region and the perceived third or fourth.

Middle of the pack

21. Cloud9

Record: 8-6 (20-16) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -4

C9 had an awkward week. It won a series it shouldn't have against the late game toothless Apex Gaming, and it followed that up with an excruciatingly close loss to CLG. With the team in comfortable playoff position with no chance of breaking the top two, the last two weeks for C9 will be about seed positioning and gearing up for a tough first-round matchup.

22. Vici Gaming

Record: 6-5 (13-12) | League: LPL | +/-: no change

Vici Gaming isn't a bad team, even though it lost to Snake this week. Overall, the victory over Invictus keeps it afloat in the middle of the pack.

23. MVP

Record: 6-8 (14-17) | League: LCK | +/-: -11

The playoffs are slipping away for MVP, but it's not all doom and gloom. Sure, making the postseason in its first season back as an organization after an absence of more than two years would have been amazing for MVP, but at least with its current record, there should be no relegation in sight.

24. Jin Air Green Wings

Record: 5-8 (13-18) | League: LCK | +/-: +2

Writing about Jin Air is just depressing now. The Green Wings are 5-8. How is that possible after the way the club started? Playoff dreams have been shattered. Hope for Worlds is gone. All that's left is to see how many more times Pilot can die needlessly after getting caught out.

25. Unicorns of Love

Record: 4-5-5 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +6

Its record might not indicate it, but the Unicorns of Love have had a significant upward trend in its play and have put up some decent results in the process. Europe becomes harder to rank under Splyce, but with Unicorns' recent tie with Vitality and win over Giants, it looks like the team might be next in line in the crazy mix that is Europe.

26. Hong Kong Esports

Record: 3-1-4 | League: LMS | +/-: -1

It's another week of disappointment for HKE, as it was able to develop leads early against ahq but failed to close a game. Gear and Raison continue to be the backbone of the team from mid and AD, with Raison performing closer to his Summer 2015 form. HKE has MSE nipping at its heels, so the roster will have to develop synergy quick if it wants to secure a playoff spot.

27. Giants Gaming

Record: 5-2-7 | League: EU LCS | +/-: -3

Giants lost to two teams above it this week, which makes it fall in the rankings. The team isn't awful -- it's still a contender for playoffs -- but it's falling behind.

28. Team EnVyUs

Record: 7-7 (14-19) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +1

It wasn't pretty from Envy, but the rookie club got the job done in the biggest match of its inaugural split. A loss to Apex Gaming to end the week would have given the Lions a strong chance of making the postseason; however, in 2-1 fashion, Envy was able to shake its losing ways and get the much-needed victory.

29. ESC Ever

Record: 4-8 (11-18) | League: LCK | +/-: -2

ESC is at the point where making the playoffs is all but out of the question. Currently, it's time to turn those thoughts into pure survival. The bottom two spots in the league go into the do-or-die promotional matches, and Ever can keep its place in the LCK if it can outdo Longzhu, CJ and the submarining Jin Air Green Wings.

30. Longzhu Gaming

Record: 4-10 (10-21) | League: LCK | +/-: +8

Longzhu are in a fight for survival in the ninth-place spot. With its win over CJ, the Dragons have separated themselves from the worst team in the league, but the once believed "super team" has only two weeks before it's sent to a single best-of-five series against a minor league team.

Struggling

31. H2K Gaming

Record: 4-6-4 | League: EU LCS | +/-: -3

H2K had a bumpy week, but its losses came at the hand of G2 Esports and Fnatic. H2K has holes in the armor that it needs to fix, but its record will likely give it a playoff berth in Europe.

32. FC Schalke 04

Record: 3-7-4 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1

FC Schalke 04 receive a slight bump in the rankings this week, after tying with Origen and Fnatic. But this season has shown that FC Schalke 04 has the same problems it did when it was Elements, and the team is no better than seventh.

33. Vitality

Record: 3-7-4 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +3

Wrapping up Europe's lower half of the middle pack is Team Vitality, which beat Team ROCCAT and tied with the Unicorns of Love this week. Vitality has the potential to be a better team, but its roster just doesn't look good together.

34. Midnight Sun Esports

Record: 3-2-3 | League: LMS | +/-: +1

Midnight Sun inch up the standings with a strong 3-1 week, 2-0-ing Team Mist and splitting with Machi. MSE's wins during the week were clean, and the team looks to be on the way up, as Machi continues to struggle with consistency.

35. Game Talents

Record: 5-6 (11-14) | League: LPL| +/-: -7

Game Talents came out strong this split but have since fallen down the ladder. Last week might've been rock bottom, however, as the team took a loss to OMG, one of the worst teams in the league.

36. Phoenix1

Record: 3-11 (10-25) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +4

Phoenix1, 3-2 in its past five, is in an intriguing place with four matches left. Playoffs are a pipe dream, but a few upsets on the last two weekends could give the boys in orange and black a reprieve when it comes to relegation.

37. NRG Esports

Record: 4-10 (12-21) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +5

It might be a little too late for NRG Esports to make the postseason, but its makeshift, mixed-language roster might be finally getting its legs under it. If NRG can grab the seventh spot, it'll be locked into next split's NA LCS.

38. Machi E-sports

Record: 2-3-3 | League: LMS | +/-: -8

Dropping a heartbreaking game to Flash Wolves earlier in the week and losing a game to XGamers is sure to weaken team morale. Machi was able to string together a few wins and perform well in team fights, but the communication has clearly been off.

39. LGD Gaming

Record: 4-7 (11-15) | League: LPL | +/-: no change

LGD took a game off EDward Gaming, which is impressive, even though it didn't close the series with a win.

40. Apex Gaming

Record: 5-9 (15-20) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -6

Although Apex have a similar map record to sixth-place Envy (both teams are five maps below .500), the overall match score is what is probably going to kill its chance to make the playoffs.

Bottom of the barrel

41. Newbee

Record: 4-7 (10-17) | League: LPL | +/-: -2

Newbee's record is not indicative of its team's skill. Just because it's fourth in group A in points doesn't mean it's better than the likes of Vici Gaming or LGD.

42. Origen

Record: 2-7-5 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1

Toaster's LCS debut wasn't bad at all, as Origen tied with FC Schalke 04 and beat Team ROCCAT. But Origen waited too long this season to fix its gaping problems in the bottom lane.

43. CJ Entus

Record: 2-11 (9-23) | League: LCK | +/-: -6

CJ accidentally locked in Teemo against Longzhu and got embarrassed. The team structure is a mess. The coaching is a mess. The starting lineup rotations are a mess. The prospects CJ Entus hoped would turn the club around have failed to deliver. Four years ago, the names Blaze and Frost struck fear into the hearts of teams that played against them. Now, CJ Entus is bland, old, uninspired and possibly on its last legs.

44. OMG

Record: 3-8 (8-17) | League: LPL | +/-: +3

Originally expected to be one of the worst teams in China, OMG showed that it deserves to be taken more seriously with a win over Game Talents.

45. eXtreme Gamers

Record: 1-1-6 | League: LMS | +/-: no change

XG aren't anything special, but a win over Machi and some decent performances in losses this week show that XG aren't totally awful.

46. Invictus Gaming

Record: 2-9 (9-19) | League: LPL | +/-: -2

Continuing to fall this week is Invictus Gaming, which took losses to LGD Gaming and Vici Gaming.

47. Team ROCCAT

Record: 1-5-8 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1

We had high expectations for ROCCAT earlier in the season, but its results have been anything but good. The trend continued this week, as it fell to Vitality and Origen.

48. Echo Fox

Record: 1-13 (7-26) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +1

Echo Fox became the first team in our rankings to be officially eliminated from Summoner's Cup contention.

49. Saint Gaming

Record: 1-10 (5-20) | League: LPL | +/-: -3

With only one win, Saint Gaming remain at the bottom of the power rankings, above only Team Mist.

50. Team Mist

Record: 0-0-8 | League: LMS | +/-: no change

The team continues to perform poorly and is unable to make anything of its occasional early game advantages. At least it showed some ingenuity with an Olaf counter-pick into Shen.