The spookiest month on the calendar has come and gone and it has left us with some good memories. Today we take a look at how the best teams in North America finished in the rankings after all was said and done.
October has finally come to an end and with it we with it we close the book on our North American rankings for another month. The last 30 days were not overly active, with the Overwatch competitive year winding down a bit in the weeks leading up to Blizzcon’s Overwatch World Cup. Regardless, there were some significant tournaments and the rankings did shift. Let’s take a look at how the North American teams ended up after the month of October.
1st EnVyUs (-)
Overwatch Open - 2nd Place Finish
We may sound like a broken record at this point but EnVyUs is dominant and shows no signs of slowing down. Still the number one ranked team in both North America and the world, they had a quiet October. Their main competition came in the OGN Apex season 1, where they currently sit atop their group with a comfortable 2-1. Other teams are challenging EnVyUs for the crown left and right, but there is still work to be done before EnVyUs loses their position at the top.
2nd Fnatic (+1)
Dreamhack Winter 2016 NA qualifier - 1st Place Finish
While they were another team that laid low for October, Fnatic had no lack of quality (even with iddqd leaving). Their tournament of choice was the DreamHack Winter 2016 qualifier. The North American/European mixed team put on a clinic and did not drop a game until the upper bracket final. They convincingly defeated teams such as Method and Tempo Storm before taking down a surging compLexity to qualify for DreamHack Winter. This team has earned the second spot and looks to challenge for 1st soon.
3rd Cloud9 (-1)
Alienware Monthly Melee October #2 - 2nd Place Finish
Alienware Monthly Melee October #1 - 1st Place Finish
Unlike the other top 3 teams, Cloud9 had a fairly busy month. Despite some roster moves, they didn’t seem to miss a step, winning the first October Alienware Monthly Melee and reaching the final of the second. The first tournament was classic Cloud9, after getting out of their group in second place with a 2-1 record, they went on a tear, defeating FaZe and Team Liquid on their way to the final. Once there, they quickly dispatched compLexity to win the tournament. They did not fare as well in the second Alienware Monthly Melee, falling to FaZe in a 4 game series. Despite falling to third spot on our rankings, this team shows promise; don’t be surprised to find them higher next month.
4th FaZe (-)
Alienware Monthly Melee October #2 - 1st Place Finish
Dreamhack Winter 2016 NA qualifier - 3rd/4th Place Finish
Alienware Monthly Melee October #1 - 4th Place Finish
FaZe has consistently been one of the most active teams in the top 8 since their inception. The North American/European mixed squad has shown time and time again that they are not afraid of competition. They had a solid month, placing top 4 at the first Alienware Monthly Melee, the DreamHack Winter qualifier and the MSI MGA qualifier. Their best run came at the second Alienware Monthly Melee, however. After being sent to the lower bracket by Cloud9 for the second time in a row, they rallied back. They defeated Rise Nation, Immortals and a surprisingly strong Kingdom eSports on the road to a Cloud9 rematch in the final. Once there, they took the series 3-1. Look for more consistent performances out of this team in the month of November.
5th compLexity (+1)
Carbon Masters - 1st Place Finish
Dreamhack Winter 2016 NA qualifier - 2nd Place Finish
Alienware Monthly Melee October #1 - 2nd Place Finish
compLexity was another team that had a busy month and with a few of the top teams taking time off they took full advantage and put on some of the most impressive performances we’ve seen from them. They kicked off the month by winning a spot in the MGA qualifier and making a run to the final of the first Alienware Monthly Melee. They followed it up with an impressive run at the DreamHack Winter 2016 qualifier, defeating Cloud9, Team Liquid and FaZe on the road to earning a spot at the popular gaming festival. They capped off the month with a victory over Immortals in the final of the Carbon Masters. This team seems to be stepping it up, continuing their momentum from a strong September, expect big things from this team in the future.
6th NRG (-1)
APAC Premier - 3rd/4th Place Finish
NRG was mostly inactive for the month of October after a shaky month in September, their lone tournament appearance, the APAC Premier, however, was a remarkable one. They went on a tear, escaping their group without dropping a game. The playoffs were more of the same, they 3-0’d Snake eSports before finally falling to Luantic-Hai for a top 4 finish. Despite this, they made a roster change. They swapped out Pookz and Gods for Clockwork and numlocked, formerly of Splyce and Team Dignitas, respectively. It remains to be seen how this team change will affect their playstyle, they are a wild card for the month of November.
7th Team Liquid (-)
MSI Masters Gaming Arena Americas Qualifier - 2nd Place Finish
Dreamhack Winter 2016 NA qualifier - 3rd/4th Place Finish
Alienware Monthly Melee October #1 - 3rd Place Finish
Holding steady at 7th is Team Liquid. After finally finding some stability with their roster, stable placements quickly followed. The team managed top 4 placings at MGA Americas Regional and the DreamHack Winter 2016 qualifier as well as a third place finish at the first Alienware Monthly Melee. With continued stability we expect to see continued improvement; expect this team to challenge for a higher spot in November.
8th Immortals (New)
Carbon Masters - 2nd Place Finish
Alienware Monthly Melee October #2 - 4th Place Finish
A new comer to the top 8, Immortals makes their debut after a very impressive month of October. They managed a top 4 at the second Alienware Monthly Melee, losing to FaZe in the lower bracket. They also placed top 8 at the DreamHack winter 2016 qualifier and made a run to the final of Carbon Masters. I would not be surprised to see this team in the top 8 two months in a row.
For more competitive Overwatch news, follow @GosuOverwatch.
