Top 10 League of Legends teams heading into 2026 (January Update)

A new season, new rosters, but the same question: which teams are expected to be the strongest in the new year? Here is our updated list of the best League of Legends teams as we head into the 2026 season. The list takes into consideration the potential that the teams can achieve, as well as their current form. These are HotSpawn’s League of Legends global power rankings.

HotSpawn Global Power Rankings LoL

1. Gen.G
2. T1
3. Anyone’s Legend
4. Hanwha Life Esports
5. BiliBili Gaming
6. Dplus KIA
7. JD Gaming
8. Weibo Gaming
9. KT Rolster
10. G2 Esports

10. G2 Esports

• The best Western team at Worlds this year
• SkewMond has finally stepped up as a top-tier jungler in EU
• Caps
• Team is always willing to find new edges to win games

G2 once again is the “best of the West” after a decent showing at Worlds, where the team got a top-eight finish. After the initial worries at the start of 2025 with the new lineup, it’s fair to say that the team has found the potential that it sought after. Rookie SkewMond ramped up heavily in the second half of the season and Labrov has also looked more consistent. Caps is still the core of the team and will likely stay the same as G2 looks to maintain domestic dominance in 2026.

The lingering question is the same one that followed G2 in the past years: can they raise the level again in 2026, or was this the peak? The answer will likely dictate G2’s chances at the international tournaments.

9. KT Rolster

• Bdd and Cuzz are still one of the best jungle-mid duos in the world
• New bot lane raises some question marks
• Top side can be a liability at times
• Much more volatile than other teams

KT’s case is a particular one. After dropping the final game to T1 at the Worlds final, you wouldn’t expect this team to be this low in the standings. Unfortunately, KT decided to part ways with the bottom lane of deokdam and Peter. Between the two, the biggest loss is definitely the support player, who played out a major role in the team’s success alongside the jungle-mid duo of Cuzz and Bdd.

Considering the latter are staying, KT still has the potential to be among the elite four in the LCK. That said, the new bot lane does raise some questions, especially since the new ADC Aiming is also known for being rather volatile with his gameplay… At least, he fits KT’s identity of the “roller coaster” team.

8. JD Gaming

• New lineup to forget 2025
• Jungle-mid duo is an interesting pairing
• Coach Tabe will be a difference maker in the long term
• Strong bot lane with GALA and Vampire

After a 2025 fans would rather forget, JDG’s 2026 lineup is an exciting one. The team brought in the jungle-mid pair of Junjia and HongQ, as well as a strong bot lane core with former IG ADC GALA. Paired with Tabe, one of the best coaches in the space, the team can become a menace later on in the year. For now, however, the potential has yet to be fully explored, which is why JDG won’t be any higher than eight in our Power Rankings.

7. Weibo Gaming

• Upgraded roster compared to 2025
• Elk is a great pickup and has already shown its colors
• Good mix of veterans and youngsters looking to prove their worth
• Question whether the veterans will keep a high level throughout the season

Next up is another LPL team that made clear upgrades during the offseason. Weibo Gaming ended up winning the negotiation war with IG and acquired Elk from BiliBili Gaming, making it a great carry duo with mid laner Xiaohu. With a stable top laner in Zika, former world champion jungler Jiejie, and former Gen.G coach KIM, WBG has all the cards needed to be among the top teams in the LPL.

It’s a good mix of veterans with hungry younger players who want to achieve more accolades. That said, WBG may not gain much international experience given the limited number of slots available at international events and may struggle when those opportunities arise.

6. Dplus KIA

• The dark horse of the LCK
• Smash seems to fit the team’s identity well
• ShowMaker seemingly in stronger form
• More potential to be revealed from the young players

Dplus KIA is one of the dark horses for the 2026 season. After a disappointing end to the 2025 season, which saw them miss out on Worlds qualification, DK has decided to bring in former T1 ADC player Smash to form a young roster led by the veteran ShowMaker. If the performance at the KeSPA Cup is any indication, then this DK roster can be extremely exciting.

Top laner Siwoo has got his rookie experience out of the way and will now have the hard task of matching the top players in his role. ShowMaker will be in a similar position among mids, although his gameplay seemed a lot more promising in the latest series. On paper, this roster has a lot more to uncover, so it will come down to head coach cvMax to find it, hoping that he doesn’t devolve the lineup in the process.

5. BiliBili Gaming

• The Chinese team with the highest potential
• Concerns after Demacia Cup performance
• Could be more volatile during the season given coach Daeny’s presence
• Best solo laners + one of the top 3 ADCs in the world
• Bot lane synergy will be key

BLG might be the best LPL team with the highest ceiling—but they are also the hardest to rate currently. The team comes from a disastrous Demacia Cup, getting eliminated immediately despite fielding four of five starting players, including the new ADC Viper. Alongside head coach Daeny, BLG did what are technically considered the best choices during the offseason, but only the results will tell us whether they were correct.

Nonetheless, this team is expected to be contending for the title both domestically and on the international stage. Anything less than that will likely be a failure… and it’s something that BLG will want to avoid at all costs, especially after the debacle from 2025.

4. Hanwha Life Esports

• Gumayusi and Kanavi can be considered upgrades
• Team identity can mesh very well over time
• Mid lane can be a liability at times
• Might fight for domestic title in 2026

If Hanwha Life Esports was the no. 3 team in the LCK last year, things haven’t really moved much from there. Having said that, this new HLE lineup with Gumayusi and Kanavi is expected to be in much closer contention with the other two Korean powerhouses, T1 and Gen.G. Compared to 2025, both floor and ceiling have been raised. The carry potential “oozes from every pore,” so HLE’s job will actually be the opposite of most teams: find a synergizing playstyle for all five players without ruining either of them. If HLE can find this solution, they might actually be ready to win it all.

3. Anyone’s Legend

• The best LPL team in 2025
• No roster changes, which should guarantee a good foundation
• Uncertainty regarding Tabe’s departure
• Might have a lower peak potential compared to other Chinese squads

Anyone’s Legend earned their 2025 status the hard way: clean fundamentals and a level of cohesion most teams spend years chasing. While they are probably the team with the lowest peak potential among the top five, the biggest reason they are in the top three is simple—the team made no roster changes.

Even though I believe head coach Tabe’s departure can damage the team over a long period of time, the lineup has already built a stable foundation that should allow them to perform well, at least in the first half of the season. Keep an eye out for Tarzan: he will be the main factor for this AL roster.

2. T1

• 2025 world champions
• Lost Gumayusi but brought in the best replacement possible with Peyz
• The team might have a new dynamic compared to the three-peat era, and might need more time to find peak form
• Could have ups and downs in the season but T1 will show up when it counts the most

Despite winning the 2025 world championship, T1 is probably not going to be the undisputed best LoL team in the world at the start of the year. This has been a recurring trend each season since the start of the three-peat for the organization. T1 generally takes more time to ramp up their performance and generally struggles to deliver peak gameplay during the regular season.

While the addition of Peyz doesn’t seem to have changed much in terms of team identity, I believe that the new ADC player can bring more dynamics that T1 has yet to explore. This, inevitably, can also cause higher volatility in the overall gameplay. Nonetheless, T1 is expected to be fighting for all the major competitions during the season, and you can be almost certain to see them deliver once Worlds comes around.

1. Gen.G

• The best team for the large part of 2025
• Running back the roster with a different coaching staff can be the key to success
• The best mid and top laners in the world
• Jungler’s performance will heavily influence the whole team

Even though Gen.G failed to lift the Summoner’s Cup once again at Worlds, the Korean team has arguably been the best squad for most of 2025. And with the lineup staying together for another season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them dominate in the same fashion.

The organization also made the right moves in the offseason, bringing in head coach Ryu to lead this superteam. We’ve often pointed the finger at Gen.G’s drafting and approach, and Ryu had done a great job in raising his teams’ bar, especially during his time on BNK FearX. If there is a team to beat in the first part of 2026, it’s probably going to be this one.

Best League of Legends Teams FAQ

Which are the best LoL Teams?

The best LoL teams in the world are currently Gen.G, T1 and Anyone’s Legend. The other two teams in the top five at the start of the 2026 season would be Hanwha Life Esports and BiliBili Gaming. The best Western team is G2 Esports.

Who is the best player in LoL?

Even though the ranking is usually subjective, the best of the 2025 competitive season has been Gen.G’s mid laner Chovy, with KT Rolster’s Bdd shortly behind him. While the former was dominant in the LCK, Bdd led the team to a surprising Worlds final.