Introduction: The S16 season has officially begun, and most players are closely following the recent matches, which have been quite intense across all regions. Just recently, Riot's global power rankings were updated again. As expected, BLG, sent to the losers' bracket, fell from grace, dropping to second place worldwide, while LCK's Gen.G climbed to the top spot. What surprised fans was WB Gaming, a team from the LPL's Phoenix Group, unexpectedly breaking into the global top ten and maintaining a stable position. Meanwhile, the highly popular WE team moved up six spots to reach 20th globally.

LPL Phoenix Team Secures Tenth Place Worldwide

Most players are familiar with Riot's global power rankings, which are periodically adjusted based on each team's match performance and points. These rankings consider not only a team's historical achievements but also their current form. As the competition progresses, the latest global power rankings have been released. Unsurprisingly, BLG, who lost to WE, fell from their pedestal after the defeat. They currently sit in second place with 1507 points—a decent ranking, given that they just encountered issues in the knockout stage.

At the top is LCK's Gen.G with 1522 points, likely influenced by their first-split LCK title. For now, Gen.G only holds a top-three position, with HLE and T1 also performing strongly. T1 is third, G2 fourth, and HLE fifth. TES, who have advanced to the LPL winner's bracket finals, rank sixth. With their steady climb, they are just one step away from the MSI. Having undergone three core player rotations in the second split, TES has indeed improved rapidly.

The most surprising team is tenth-placed WB Gaming. Their first-split performance was mediocre, and in the second split, they lost to LGD on the "Knight's Path" and fell into the Phoenix Group. Their overall form has been shockingly poor. This marks the first time an LPL Phoenix Group team has appeared in the global top ten. Yet, they still have a chance to compete in the EWC (Esports World Cup). According to the rules, if either AL or JDG win the second-split championship, WB can qualify as a replacement. However, given the current LPL situation, both teams are in the losers' bracket, making their championship prospects very slim.

Currently, the hottest LPL team, WE, has risen six spots to 20th globally. They are also just one step away from MSI, and their winner's bracket final against TES will decide the first LPL qualifying spot. The LPL organizers have urgently invited special guests—Misaya, Caomei, Weixiao, Xiye, and 957—for an offline viewing event. No one expected WE to catch all fans off guard. This small, relatively unknown team has crushed many established powerhouses, with team valuations differing by more than tenfold. That's the charm of esports.

In my opinion,

I believe WE's ranking is somewhat behind. Given their recent performance, they should at least be in the global top 15. Perhaps their regular-season record (1-13) is a factor, as such a record would be at the bottom of any region. LNG is definitely the culprit, helping a team with a losing streak "collect" a win—how do you even fight against that kind of luck?

What do you, our viewers, think about this?