Using a points metric, Nerd Street’s monthly rankings seek to objectively quantify the best orgs across all esports for 2022 by measuring success in 10 games: League of Legends, VALORANT, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League, Apex Legends, Dota 2, Rainbow Six: Siege, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Halo.
In our system, orgs are awarded points based on their finishes in various international and domestic competitions. Since every esport has a distinct league and tournament structure, it might take 1,000 words just to explain the full breakdown for each — and let’s be honest, you’re mostly here for the ranking anyway.
One more detail worth mentioning: orgs sometimes pick up dropped or unsigned rosters just ahead of major events.
10. TSM
TSM’s claim to fame this year is winning the Rainbow Six Invitational, the most important event of the year in R6. Their Dota team has acquitted itself well, too, finishing second at ESL One Stockholm, the first Dota Major of the year. And in Apex, TSM reached the finals at both the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs and the ALGS Championship.
9. 100 Thieves
100 Thieves had an incredible August to vault the org into Nerd Street’s top 10. The org’s Call of Duty team, the Los Angeles Thieves, won the Call of Duty Championship, and both 100 Thieves’ League of Legends and VALORANT teams qualified for their respective world championships. With the Call of Duty, VALORANT and League of Legends 2022 seasons now over, 100T can only rise higher if their Call of Duty team does well at the first Major of the Call of Duty League 2023 season which is actually in December
8. Natus Vincere
NAVI have been the second-best CS:GO team in the world this year. They won the Blast Spring Finals in June but have finished second to FaZe at two of the biggest tournaments of the year: the Antwerp Major and IEM Cologne. NAVI’s Rainbow Six squad also did well at the Rainbow Six Invitational earlier this year and the org’s Halo team qualified for the HCS Orlando Major and the world championship.
7. Fnatic
This European organization has solidified its spot in Nerd Street’s top 10 based on the strength of the org’s VALORANT and Dota teams. In VALORANT, Fnatic qualified for both Masters events and VALORANT Champions. They were regional champs during Stage 2 of the European VCT season and finished top four at Masters: Copenhagen. Fnatic also qualified for both Dota Majors this year and Dota’s season-ending championship: The International 2022. Fnatic’s Apex Legends team is also worth mentioning for finishing top four at the ALGS Championship.
6. Cloud9
The North American standard bearer in League of Legends went to Worlds for the ninth time in 10 years in 2022. Despite a lackluster performance on the international stage, C9 were still domestic champs after winning the LCS summer split. In CS:GO, the org emphatically announced its return to the scene by winning IEM Dallas in June. It’s the org’s biggest title this year and first S-tier CS:GO title since famously winning the Boston Major in 2018. Like Atlanta FaZe in Call of Duty, Cloud9 were the constant runners-up in Halo this year. C9 finished second at both Halo Majors this year and the world championship.
5. FURIA
This Brazilian org has put up strong results in Rainbow Six: Siege, CS:GO, and Apex Legends in 2022. FURIA made the playoffs at the Rainbow Six Invitational and PGL Major Antwerp as the top CS:GO team from the Americas. In Apex Legends, they put up the most points in the finals of the ALGS Championship, ultimately coming in second. Plus, FURIA qualified for VALORANT Champions.
4. Team Liquid
TL haven’t won any major titles this year, but have finished second at two major tournaments this year: the Apex Legends Global Series Split 2 playoffs in April and CS:GO’s ESL Pro League Season 16 in October. Despite the lack of major titles, Team Liquid have been consistently good in pretty much every game they compete in, and the org fields teams in most of the major esports. They made the playoffs at VALORANT Masters: Reykjavík, VALORANT Champions, the ESL Pro League Season 15, the Rainbow Six Invitational, the Rainbow Six Charlotte Major and the League Championship Series. Plus, they were top eight at the Rocket League Championship Series Spring Major
3. G2 Esports
It’s hard to think of G2 without thinking about their former CEO Carlos “Ocelote” Rodriguez and the fallout from his partying with Andrew Tate, which reportedly cost the org a spot in Riot Game’s premier VALORANT esports circuit in 2023. However, G2’s esports teams have been among the best in the world, and the org has been up there with FaZe and OpTic Gaming when it comes to winningest orgs this year.
2. FaZe Clan
FaZe Clan have been neck and neck with OpTic Gaming for most of the second half of the year in Nerd Street’s ranking of the best esports orgs in the world in 2022 — primarily on the strength of their CS:GO team. FaZe won the first Major of the year in Antwerp, and won the next two biggest tournaments in IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne. They also won ESL Pro League Season 15 and are within striking distance of the prestigious IEM Grand Slam. They are one of the favorites to win the Rio Major this month.
1. OpTic Gaming
OpTic Gaming climbed over FaZe Clan to take the top spot this month after winning the Halo World Championship. OpTic have been the kings of FPS games this year. In addition to their Halo championship, OpTic won a Halo Major, a Call of Duty League Major and VALORANT Masters: Reykjavík, which is the equivalent of a Major in VALORANT. They almost won VALORANT’s world championship, but finished second to LOUD at VALORANT Champions.