Today’s edition of the Overwatch League Rundown is all about the Stage 4 Power Rankings! There are a number of surprises already in Stage 4, including the ascent of the previously inept Dallas Fuel and the fall of the hallowed Seoul Dynasty.
1) NYXL: Simply The Best
Stage 4 Record (4-0) Overall Record (31-3)
The fact that NYXL is at the top of this week’s Power Rankings should come as no surprise to anyone, as the defending Stage Champions haven’t lost a beat heading into Stage 4. Last week, they comfortably defeated the Shanghai Dragons and Seoul Dynasty, and the team has looked just as dominant in the new meta. Look for them to continue their winning ways, as they set their sights on their third straight Stage Championships.
Top Play: Friendship is the best ship.
2) L.A. Valiant: Valhalla Rising
Stage 4 Record (4-0) Overall Record (22-12)
The Valiant is a team that has consistently hung around a playoff spot, and while they struggled a bit in Stage 2, they have vastly improved since then. Their win against Seoul in week one combined with their masterful week two puts the Valiant in the driver’s seat for the Pacific Division title, which would set them up well in their quest to win the inaugural Overwatch League Championships.
Top Play: Fate favours the bold.
3) L.A. Gladiators: Purple Power
Stage 4 Record (4-0) Overall Record (20-14)
The L.A.Gladiators are off to a fast start in Stage 4 and look more and more confident with every match that they play. Led by main-tank player Chan-Hyung ‘Fissure’ Baek, this team possesses great depth and have many players that can turn up in any given situation. With their wins against Houston and Florida last week, the Gladiators not only sit tied with the NYXL for first place in the Stage playoff race but are also currently in the final spot for the end of season playoffs.
Top Play: A true Fissure of men.
4) London Spitfire: A Royal Remodeling
Stage 4 Record (2-2) Overall Record (20-12)
Coming off of their first week, that saw them lose both of their matches, the Spitfire rebounded with two close wins against the Seoul Dynasty and San Francisco Shock. The Spitfire sits firmly in an overall playoff spot and has already played through the toughest part of their schedule. With Ji-Hyeok ‘Birdring’ Kim seemingly over his previous hand injury and Joon-Yeong ‘Profit’ Park playing like his Stage 1 self, the Spitfire looks dangerous once again.
Best Play: Step 1: Profit.
5) Philadelphia Fusion: On The Rebound
Stage 4 Record (3-1) Overall Record (20-12)
While the Philadelphia Fusion currently has a 3 win and 1 loss record, which is good enough for fourth place in Stage 4, their record is a little deceiving. Their wins have come against the downtrodden Shanghai Dragons, Florida Mayhem and Boston Uprising and they were defeated rather handily by the suddenly capable Dallas Fuel. With a tough schedule upcoming the team will need inspired play from their star DPS duo of Joshue ‘Eqo’ Corona and Jae-Hyeok ‘Carpe’ Lee if they want to keep their winning ways going.
Top Play: Cowboys vs. Everyone Else.
6) Dallas Fuel: No Ill Effect
Stage 4 Record: (3-1) Overall Record (9-25)
Once upon a time, in an Overwatch League far far away, the Dallas Fuel was in shambles. Their main tank signing, Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyuel was let go by the team, and their top DPS player Hyeon ‘Effect’ Hwang was ruled out for the rest of the season. Then, everything changed when the new meta was introduced. Led by top-tier Briggite player Pongphop ‘Mickie’ Rattanasangchod, they have a legitimate shot at the Stage 4 Playoffs and look completely rejuvenated. This is welcome news for the Fuel’s long-suffering fans and regardless of the end result, it’s just nice to see this team playing meaningful matches.
Top Play: Feels like Disneyland.
7) San Francisco Shock: The Future is Now
Stage 4 Record (2-2) Overall Record (14-20)
In a shocking continuation of events, the San Francisco Shock is one of the most improved teams in the Overwatch League. They have thus far managed to defeat the Seoul Dynasty and Houston Outlaws and have looked extremely impressive doing so. The Shock also has a couple of young stars in Min-Ho ‘Architect’ Park and Jay ‘Sinatraa’ Won, and they seem to only be getting better as time goes on. While they’re officially not going to make the end of season playoffs, this is very much a team to watch for years to come.
Top Play: Architect teaches counting.
8) Houston Outlaws: A Bump In the Road
Stage 4 Record (2-2) Overall Record (18-16)
In week one of Stage 4, the Houston Outlaws looked unstoppable. Their convincing wins against the top tier Boston Uprising and London Spitfire had fans and pundits alike believing in the team’s playoff chance. However, week two was a very different story as the Outlaws got blown out by the L.A. Gladiators and San Francisco Shock. They now sit in eighth place in the overall standing and will need to be perfect if they want to qualify for the end of season playoffs.
Top Play: Flying Jake-Rat.
9) Boston Uprising: Stage 3 Hangover
Stage 4 Record (0-4) Overall Record (22-12)
Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Coming off of their perfect Stage 3, the expectations were justifiably high for the Boston Uprising heading into Stage 4. However, the team has stumbled out of the gate, losing all four of their games and looking out of sorts along the way. They’ve played incredibly passively, and their constant lineup shuffling hasn’t done their chemistry any favours. While the Uprising do currently hold a pretty comfortable position in the overall standings, they will need to start winning games soon or risk squandering their stellar season.
Top Play: Note with the Geometry crash-course.
10) Seoul Dynasty: A Crumbling Dynasty
Stage 4 Record: (0-4) Overall Record (19-15)
The Seoul Dynasty is at a crossroads. The team is sitting at 0 wins and 4 losses in Stage 4 and has dropped one spot out of an end of season playoff spot. Seoul has shown a dominant flare in the past, and DPS superstar Byung-Sun ‘Fleta’ Kim can very much carry the team, but their margin of error is now incredibly small. The good news for Dynasty fans is that the team faces off against the bottom-dwelling Shanghai Dragons and Florida Mayhem and should be able to pick up a couple of wins with relative ease.
Top Play: Wicked Wekeed.
11) Florida Mayhem: Saya Knows Best
Stage 4 Record: (0-4) Overall Record (6-28)
The Florida Mayhem have performed mostly as expected so far this season, as they have been a bottom of the pack team with great chemistry. However, one thing that wasn’t expected is the emergence of their DPS superstar Jung-Woo ‘Sayaplayer’ Ha. He’s easily been the brightest aspect of the team, and he leads the Overwatch League in many Widowmaker categories. While this season may be all but over for Florida, they’ve got a player to build around in the future which is an exciting notion.
Top Play: Need I Saya anything more?
12) Shanghai Dragons: And then There Were 6ix
Stage 4 Record (0-4) Overall Record (0-34)
Six more matches. That’s all that’s left in the Shanghai Dragon’s inaugural season, and more importantly, that’s all the time they have to grab their first win of the season. The Dragons have looked good in short spurts but have shown a tendency to fall apart after teams break through their defence. Shanghai play the Dynasty and Outlaws in week three and will be in tough, especially since they lack a solid Brigitte player.
Top Play: Ado’s pretty good at this Overwatch thing.
What do you think of the Stage 4 Power Rankings? And what team do you think is going to rise as the Stage progresses? Let us know in the comments below!
Liked this article and want to read more like it? Check out the interview with Lucie Pohl and a look at the Importance of Brigitte on The Overwatch League’s Fourth Stage.
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