League of Legends global power rankings through Feb. 14

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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 currently performing.

We're entering Week 5 of the LCK and NA/EU LCS. The LMS is entering Week 4, and the LPL is entering Week 3 of play. The +/- indicates the 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: 6-1 (12-3) | League: LCK | +/-: No change

SKT had a soft schedule to start the 2017 LCK Spring Split, but it finally started going head-to-head against stronger teams in the league. The team was badly burned by Afreeca and former SKT top laner Jang "MaRin" Gyeong-Hwan. With that, the team suffered its first match and game loss of the season; a subsequent map loss Tuesday morning to Longzhu shows that SKT might not be as unstoppable as it seemed.

2. KT Rolster

Record: 6-1 (12-3) | League: LCK | +/-: No change

We had them penciled in at the top of our rankings. The perfect game versus Samsung. The cohesion. The plays. The superstars. The dream team. And then, like we cursed the entire KT organization, the club fell apart against scrappy MVP. They allowed one of MVP's star players, Kang "ADD" Geon-mo, to get Camille in the top lane. And, as it turned out, the almost always-banned split-pushing, knife-legged, killing-machine, duelist is pretty strong.

As KT sailed toward their fateful duel against SKT without a match loss, they got rocked by a team that came in with a better game plan. KT are an elite team and still one of the very best in the world, but make no mistake, this team is still young. And growing pains, super team or not, are going to happen. But KT's growing pains came right before it took the No. 1 spot in the Global Power Rankings. Better luck next week.

3. Samsung Galaxy

Record: 4-2 (9-6) | League: LCK | +/-: No change

Another week in third place means consistency is the name of the game for Samsung. The team easily beat Kongdoo Monster last week (as every LCK team should in that matchup), but was destroyed by KT Rolster as it got its first taste of competition against the super team.

4. G2 Esports

Record: 6-0 (12-3) | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1

As time passes, G2 Esports grow more and more assertive on Summoner's Rift. This week's clash against H2K Gaming helped G2 work on recovery skills, as they showed the mental prowess to reset after finding themselves on the wrong end of a near-perfect game in Match 2.

G2 Esports have met a worthy challenger in H2K, as they found an opponent with the power to punish lane errors with no hesitation, preparing them for tougher opponents on the world stage. However, their upcoming clash against the Unicorns of Love -- a team with a knack for risky, yet sound decision-making -- will test if they can assert their position at the top of the European circuit.

5. Longzhu

Record: 4-3 (10-8) | League: LCK | +/-: +6

The opposite of KT Rolster, Longzhu was a flaming dumpster truck last year when it attempted to create a super team of former superstars and rising talent. This year, however, it's learned from its mistakes and built a solid lineup of five, balancing young talent and gritty veterans to create a team that's starting to click.

Yong-jun "Fly" Song -- a player many people were calling to be replaced by online dazzler Gwak "Bdd" Bo-seong in Week 1 -- has been one of the better mids in South Korea this season, securing one of the highest kill counts while being one of the rather starved players gold-wise at the starting mid role. Although Longzhu dropped a 1-2 series to triple world champion SKT T1, the team is already showing more growth in the first month of the season than Longzhu's "super team" last year.

6. Unicorns of Love

Record: 5-0 (10-2) | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1

Even the most optimistic prevision wouldn't have had the Unicorns of Love this far up in the power rankings early on in the season, but here we stand. The team's rise to power in Group B is not a fluke and they displayed a preview of things to come against Giants in Week 4, with another lopsided set powered by strong early-gameplay.

Among teams currently competing in the European circuit, the Unicorns of Love have the highest chance of beating G2, doing so through macro play and teamfights, a different approach from H2K's early-game snowball.

7. Cloud9

Record: 8-0 (16-4) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -3

Cloud9 falls, as there are some other teams with breakthrough wins, namely Longzhu, that enter the top 10 of the list this week. Cloud9's match versus FlyQuest was close -- a little too close for comfort -- but they're still the best in North America as they accumulate a 8-0 series record after four weeks of competition.

Judging Cloud9 outside their region is difficult. They vary in playstyle from much of the top 10 in this list, but Cloud9 look like North America's hope for the Mid-Season Invitational if they make it through playoffs. Dropping out of Intel Extreme Masters Katowice -- the decision came with criticism -- seems like a smart choice for the team as they continue to improve and work towards maintaining their spot as the best team in North America.

8. QG Reapers

Record: 3-0 (6-2) | League: LPL | +/-: +2

A year after falling to LGD Gaming in the 2015 summer finals, QG -- a revived QG from the ashes of the LSPL -- could be on its way back to the top of China with two Koreans and a player from Hong Kong leading them. Kan "Kabe" Ho Man might be an MVP candidate; following his hot start, he's leading all players in the top lane with an 8.9 KDA and 31 kills.

South Korean jungler Kim "Clid" Tae-min has also been a dynamo for the Reapers, wowing crowds with his Lee Sin mechanics and helping QG keep its perfect record with a position-leading kill score of 29. Along with Newbee's victory over EDward Gaming, the upcoming match between former sister teams and now rivals will be one of the most anticipated matches of the Spring Split in any region.

9. Afreeca Freecs

Record: 3-3 (8-8) | League: LCK | +/-: +10

Unlike Samsung, Afreeca has been anything but consistent. Its game is clearly centered around MaRin and the team lives or dies depending on his performances. Afreeca took a 0-2 loss to the insufferable Jin Air Green Wings last week, but came back and handed SKT its first loss in dominating fashion. Afreeca might crash occasionally, but it's proven that it can soar as well.

10. FlyQuest

Record: 6-2 (14-5) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -1

The birds of FlyQuest drop one spot after their loss to Cloud9, but it's hard to argue that any team, in any region, has exceeded expectations as much as FlyQuest. Despite their loss to Cloud9, a formidable opponent, their win over Phoenix1 shows they're still very much a good team, .

This team has some serious potential and after four weeks of competition, FlyQuest look set to continue on and qualify for playoffs. Where they go from there is difficult to predict but with solid performances all around, especially from leader Hai "Hai" Du Lam and jungler Galen "Moon" Holgate, FlyQuest retains a spot in the top 10 and shows why they're second only to their former sister team.

Playoff contenders

11. Invictus Gaming

Record: 2-1 (5-2) | League: LPL | +/-: +10

12. MVP

Record: 4-3 (9-9) | League: LCK | +/-: +12

13. EDward Gaming

Record: 3-1 (6-3) | League: LPL | +/-: -7

14. H2K Gaming

Record: 4-2 (10-5) | League: EU LCS | +/-: -1

Losing against G2 Esports is one thing. Destroying G2 in Game 2 is another. In fact, had H2K played better around Dragon and Baron Nashor in Game 3, they would have won the series, decisively so. Alternatively, had last week's series been a best-of-five, H2K could have had a legitimate shot at winning. For a squad that is still developing, H2K may have the highest skill ceiling among EU LCS squads. Should they become better at fighting around objectives, G2 and UoL would have to be very, very worried.

15. Misfits

Record: 4-1 (9-3) | League: EU LCS | +/-: +3

I once pegged Misfits as a hit-or-miss team following the acquisition of Tristan "PowerOfEvil" Schrage and Lee "KaKAO" Byung-kwon, the latter who seems to be enjoying his time in Europe. As it turns out, my concerns regarding Misfits' play were unfounded.

For all their communication issues, they have been able to follow a plan (no matter how unorthodox it might be), recognize opportunities and overcome their fears onstage, fears that would make other squads not named UoL hold back on pressing the trigger. Splyce just happened to be the casualty of the week, much to the delight of KaKAO fans and Zilean mains (represented by Lee "IgNar" Dong-geun).

16. Flash Wolves

Record: 4-0 (8-1) | League: LMS | +/-: -2

17. Royal Never Give Up

Record: 2-1 (4-3) | League: LPL | +/-: +14

18. ahq

Record: 3-1 (7-2) | League: LMS | +/-: +4

19. Team SoloMid

Record: 6-2 (12-9) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -3

Team SoloMid's drop in the rankings is easily explainable: Echo Fox. Their loss to an opponent -- a team that mentioned weeks earlier in a Yahoo interview that no team would scrimmage them -- is a bad mark for the former kings of North America. In that series, two of the team's European stars, Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg and Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen looked off kilter, with the former being massively out-pressured by his opponent, standout rookie Matthew "Akaadian" Higginbotham. A win over Team Envy means very little as TSM head into Week 5 a third-place team in North America.

20. Snake Esports

Record: 2-1 (4-3) | League: LPL | +/-: -5

Middle of the pack

21. Echo Fox

Record: 4-4 (10-10) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +7

22. bbq Olivers

Record: 3-3 (6-7) | League: LCK | +/-: -14

23. I May

Record: 2-2 (4-5) | League: LPL | +/-: -11

24. Phoenix1

Record: 4-4 (11-8) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -7

25. Splyce

Record: 2-3 (5-6) | League: EU LCS | +/-: -4

Splyce lost yet another series, and how they lost was concerning. But for Jakob "YamatoCannon" Mebdi's squad, it is yet another opportunity for growth, except this one entailed playing against a Zilean that single-handedly undid their skirmishes.

26. Fnatic

Record: 3-2 (7-7) | League: EU LCS | +/-: -1

27. J Team

Record: 3-1 (6-3) | League: LMS | +/-: +3

J Team couldn't deal with Flash Wolves last week, but proved its merit in the league with a convincing 2-0 over Hong Kong Esports. J Team is showing more flexibility in the midgame than it did last split, and that's a promising sign for the future.

28. Newbee

Record: 1-2 (4-4) | League: LPL | +/-: +9

Could the arrival of former world class mid laner Shin "Coco" Jin-yeong revive not only his career but Newbee as a team? His first match couldn't have gone smoother, the South Korean mid enjoying a 2-0 victory over the reigning king of the LPL, Edward Gaming. Coco and Newbee starting jungler Baek "Swift" Da-hoon started out their careers together as a famous rookie duo on Xenics Storm, followed by CJ Entus Frost, and the two might be the backbone that takes Newbee to a new level in 2017.

29. Immortals

Record: 4-4 (9-10) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +9

Immortals looked like it was struggling among the North American teams, performing more among the caliber of Team Envy (the team that now holds that position in the standings) than a top 3 team of last year. But after two good wins over Team Dignitas and Team Liquid, Immortals are moving up the rankings.

The team has some fixing to do, namely with support Kim "Olleh" Joo-sung looking slightly out of place, but the whole team, not just an individual players, need to mesh. Immortals look like a team that could grow into a much stronger competitor in the summer split, but right now, they need to focus on the battle to make playoffs against the lower seeds.

30. Hong Kong eSports

Record: 2-2 (4-5) | League: LMS | +/-: +6

HKE is certainly the mid-tier team in the LMS, but that's quite the achievement considering its roster overhaul and shaky performance in Week 1 against Fireball. The team's early game strategy is sound, but individual mechanics are halting the midgame transitions it needs.

Struggling

31. Counter Logic Gaming

Record: 3-5 (8-11) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -6

32. Jin Air Green Wings

Record: 1-5 (4-10) | League: LCK | +/-: -4

33. Vici Gaming

Record: 2-2 (5-5) | League: LPL | +/-: -1

34. ROX Tigers

Record: 1-5 (5-11) | League: LCK | +/-: No change

35. Team WE

Record: 1-2 (3-5) | League: LPL | +/-: -13

36. Giants Gaming

Record: 1-4 (4-9) | League: EU LCS | +/-: -7

37. Team Liquid

Record: 2-6 (7-13) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -4

TL might be better than where it stands, but it just can't find the right string of players to perform well. Team ace Kim "Reignover" Yeu-jin was massive against undefeated Cloud9, and yet, when the series was over, he was sitting with an amazing but hollow scoreline. This team has the talent to be fourth-place (or higher) in the league, and that's what makes being a Team Liquid fan one of the hardest things to do.

38. Kongdoo Monster

Record: 0-6 (2-12) | League: LCK | +/-: +2

39. LGD Gaming

Record: 1-2 (3-4) | League: LPL | +/-: -4

40. OMG

Record: 1-3 (3-6) | League: LPL | +/-: +6

Bottom of the barrel

41. Machi

Record: 1-3 (3-7) | League: LMS | +/-: No change

42. Team Dignitas

Record: 2-6 (7-13) | League: NA LCS | +/-: No change

Team Dignitas stays at No. 42 after a loss to Immortals and a win over bottom dweller Envy. Overall, the story is the same for this team - our expectations were high coming into the season with the talent they had accrued in both players and coaches, but the team hasn't lived up to those expectations.

Maybe it's not capable of being a top team, but based off the records of its five veteran players, that doesn't seem to be the main problem. Dignitas is the second-worst team in the league, holding a 2-6 series record. If it continues following this trajectory, it's unlikely to qualify for playoffs and may even see relegation.

43. Vitality

Record: 1-4 (4-8) | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1

44. Team EnVyUs

Record: 1-7 (3-14) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +1

45. ROCCAT

Record: 0-5 (2-10) | League: EU LCS | +/-: -2

46. Fireball

Record: 2-2 (6-4) | League: LMS | +/-: -5

47. Game Talents

Record: 0-3 (1-6) | League: LPL | +/-: No change

48. Extreme Gamers

Record: 1-3 (2-7) | League: LMS | +/-: +1

49. Wayi Spider

Record: 0-4 (1-8) | League: LMS | +/-: +1

50. Origen

Record: 0-5 (0-10) | League: EU LCS | +/-: -2

Origen has found itself dead last in the power rankings as they have yet to see the victory screen, much to Yoo "NaeHyun" Nae-hyun's chagrin. They have shown flashes of brilliance -- particularly in the early game -- but their lack of direction in the midgame and beyond has been their undoing in a stacked European LCS circuit.