We're just one event away from the very first CDL Playoffs. There's a ton on the line this coming weekend, but before we get there, let's take a look at our Power Rankings following CDL London 2020.
Previous Ranking: 12
After showing signs of improvement at the Minnesota Home Series, the Los Angeles Guerrillas have done very little to prove that their run to the Semi-Finals during that event was no fluke. Over the last two weekends, the Guerrillas went 2-12 to finish out the regular season, and will start the Playoffs as the 12th seed. A disappointing finish to a season for a team that looked like they were on the cusp on putting things together.
Previous Ranking: 11
Every time I see the Seattle Surge play, I keep hoping that this will be the tournament they put everything together and go on a crazy run to at least make the Grand Finals. We know the talent is there, but ever since the start of the season, it always feel like the same thing. Unless Octane goes insane in every match, this team can't win a series. Until the team goes out and proves that they can play as a team and win, that story line won't go away any time soon. They have one last chance this weekend to prove it.
Previous Ranking: 8
Having the Rokkr at 10th might be a little too harsh on this team, but it really just comes down to how much better Paris and OGLA looked this weekend. Regardless, this team looks nothing like the team that started off the season so hot. I'm still holding out hope that this team can get back to that form, but if there was a time where it needed to happen, it's this weekend. Doing so won't be easy however, as they'll be starting the weekend in the toughest group we've seen all year. If they can put together a solid weekend and at least make the Semi-Finals, it'll go along way towards convincing everyone that this team is still one to be feared.
Previous Ranking: 9
They might not have made it very far into the tournament, but this team showed signs of life and improvement this past weekend. Taking Florida all the way to a Game 5 Round 11 Search and Destroy is no easy thing, and the addition on Drazah and Hollow looked like the right move. But the real test comes this weekend, as the honeymoon stage for this team is over. They'll have to perform better than they did last weekend, or else it'll feel like the same OpTic Gaming team we've seen all year. Let's see how they execute when the pressure is on them.
Previous Ranking: 10
This was the best weekend for Paris all year, making a Losers' bracket run all the way to the Grand Finals. It was entire team effort, and their efforts should be enough to secure them a top 8 seed, meaning they should start the Playoffs from the Winners Bracket. Even though they weren't able to win the event, making it to the Finals should absolutely be viewed as a win. For Paris to fall out of the top 8, Toronto would have to win the event this weekend, and OGLA would have to make the Finals. We'll have to see if they can continue this level come Playoffs, where they could quickly become a team that no one wants to play.
Previous Ranking: 7
We didn't see the Ultra play this past weekend, but they've been making strides ever since the change to online. They seem to get a little better every tournament, and now their faced with their biggest test of the season. Their first match against OGLA will have a huge impact on playoff seeding, so they'll need to come out of the gates hot and ready to play. Toronto trails OpTic Gaming by only 10 points in the CDL Points Standings, so advancing to the Semi-Finals is a must for the Ultra. We'll see if they can get it done this weekend.
Previous Ranking: 6
Talk about a roller-coaster of a weekend for London. Beating Florida finally proved to everyone that this team can be a top four team in the game, but their loss to Paris in the Semi-Final brings more questions to this team. Was their victory over Florida a fluke, or did they just run into a hot Paris team? It's hard to tell, and the series against Paris came down to the wire, so it's not like they were blown out by Paris. But their failure to close out the Map 2 Search and Destroy and close out the series on a Hackney Yard Hardpoint are things we're going to remember until we see this team play again. This team feels so close to making their way into the upper echelon of teams, but now it'll come down to the Playoffs for the Royal Ravens.
Previous Ranking: 4
It really couldn't have gone any worse for the Subliners this weekend. Coming into their match with the Empire, the team was on a 12 map win streak. They then went on to lose 6 straight maps to Dallas and Paris, and were eliminated from the tournament without even reaching the Semi-Finals. Not a good look for a team that just came off of a Home Series victory over a team like Chicago. Regardless, the Playoffs are the only thing that remains for New York. Putting their poor performance last weekend behind them is crucial, and as long as Minnesota doesn't make it to the Grand Finals, they should be locked in as the 5th seed for the Playoffs.
Previous Ranking: 3
It was a real struggle to decide who should be placed on the fourth spot on this list between Atlanta and Florida. In the end, I'm going with Atlanta due to how bad Florida beat Atlanta the last time they played. But honestly it's a toss up between the two teams for the third and fourth. Don't misunderstand though, Atlanta is still a dominant team, and they can beat anybody in the league on any map and game mode. This team is just that good. But their poor showings in Hardpoint are starting to cost this team, and while their still a top Search and Destroy team, they don't look as solid as they did earlier in the year. The good news for Atlanta is that their in a great position for a top two seed. They have a 10 point lead on Dallas in the CDL Points Standings, so winning the event this weekend isn't a necessity for them to get a top 2 seed. Of course, winning the event is the easiest way to guarantee a top 2 seed, and it'll be interesting to see how much this team has improved since their lost to Chicago. A top 2 seed is Atlanta's to lose, let's see if they can get the job done.
Previous Ranking: 1
This was the first time in a long time that Florida finally looked human, as they failed to advance to a Grand Final for the first time since adding Owakening to the team. OGLA was able to take this team to a Map 5 Round 11, only for the team to blow a 2-0 series lead to London. That loss proved costly, as it resulted in a Semi-Finals match against the Dallas Empire, where they were easily swept. This is still a great team, but there does appear to be cracks in their armor. They currently sit tied with Chicago with at 220 points in the CDL Points Standings, and they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Chicago. They'll have a tough road to capture a top 2 seed, with their first opponent of the weekend being a rematch against Dallas. If they can get back to the dominate form we've seen over the last month, they should be able to secure at least the 2nd seed for playoffs, if not the first overall seed.
Previous Ranking: 2
Even though I put them as the second best team in the Power Rankings, I still believe no team has benefited more than Chicago from the recent Meta change. Allowing Arcitys to run the second AR for this team is a massive benefit, as they looked dominant throughout the New York Home Series, excluding the Grand Finals. Coming into this weekend, Chicago has their work cut out for them to capture a top 2 seed. The easiest way for Chicago to accomplish their goal is to win the Toronto Home Series, as this would at least give them the second seed, depending on how Atlanta does this weekend. This team still has yet to prove they can beat Florida, and a match-up with Dallas at some-point this weekend is something I'm praying for. This team has been somewhat inconsistent this year, at times looking like the best team in the league, only to then look a little lackluster. They can't allow that to happen this weekend, their goal all season has been a top 2 seed. The opportunity is right in front of them, it's up to them to rise to the occasion and get it done.
Previous Ranking: 5
You can make the argument that the Empire were gifted an easy Grand Finals opponent last weekend when they matched up against Paris, but they took out their biggest competition in sweeping both New York and Florida. That alone is worth of the top spot in this weeks power rankings. Dallas has set themselves up well to capture a top 2 seed, despite them being placed into an extremely tough group. They need to make sure they finish ahead of Chicago, as the Huntsmen holds the head-to-head advantage over them. The Empire also has a 20 point lead over Chicago, so that cushion will certainly help them. The Empire looked the best we've seen them all year last week, as long as they can keep up that level of gameplay, a top 2 seed is theirs to lose.
