The top 10 esports orgs in the world in 2023

Which esports organization is the best in the world? If you’re searching for an answer based purely on competitive results, Nerd Street’s got it covered. Last year, OpTic Gaming finished atop Nerd Street’s rankings. Who will it be this year?

Using a points metric, Nerd Street’s monthly rankings seek to objectively quantify the best orgs across all esports by measuring success in 10 prominent games: League of Legends, VALORANT, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League, Apex Legends, Dota 2, Rainbow Six: Siege, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Halo.

Sign up for the next Nerd Street tournament!

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.

Loosely speaking, though, winning a world championship earns the highest number of points; reaching a final or making the final stages of a major international tournament is worth a decent amount; qualifying for an international event also scores some points; and performing well at a regional competition will result in a few points, but doesn’t hold nearly as much weight. To crack the top 10 of these rankings, a team needs to have at least reached the final of a major international tournament.

Read more: Nerd Street opens first collegiate esports venue at Rowan University

One more detail worth mentioning: orgs sometimes pick up dropped or unsigned rosters just ahead of major events. Out of fairness, those orgs don’t receive points for qualifying for the event — but they do earn points for how their new teams perform at the event.

Oftentimes, orgs field outstanding teams in only a single game, but the truly great orgs have teams that are competitive in, and win titles, in multiple esports. Halfway through the year, these have been the very best esports orgs in the world in 2023.

1. FaZe Clan

Photo credit: Helena Kristiansson / ESL

This organization nearly finished No. 1 in Nerd Street’s rankings last year, and FaZe are on top of these rankings heading to the midway point of 2023 with strong results across multiple games. FaZe’s CS:GO team is leading the way for the org this year and picked up where it left off last year by winning the ESL Pro League Season 17. The tournament win was particularly significant because it also meant FaZe won the Intel Grand Slam. FaZe won $1 million for their fourth S-Tier tournament win across 10 S-tier events organized by ESL dating back to last year.

Read more: FaZe Clan announce their first women’s VALORANT team

In other games, Atlanta FaZe won the second Major of the season in the Call of Duty League. It ended a tournament drought for FaZe that included multiple second-place finishes last year after winning the 2021 Call of Duty League Championship. FaZe placed second at the fifth Major and finished atop the CDL standings heading to the Call of Duty League Championship this month. In Halo, FaZe have been champions of the Arlington Major and the HCS Global Event at Dreamhack Dallas. FaZe’s Rocket League team also deserves recognition for finishing second at the RLCS Winter Major, marking their best-ever finish at an RLCS international event.

2. Team Liquid

Photo credit: Riot Games

Team Liquid broke through for their biggest win of the year last month when they won the inaugural split of the VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA league. They beat a Fnatic team that had previously been unbeaten this year and head to Masters Tokyo as one of the favorites. Team Liquid’s women’s VALORANT team won the first Game Changers Series in Brazil this year. The team was the best in Brazil last year and is looking to once again qualify for the Game Changers Championship later in the year.

Read more: The best events and tournaments at Localhost in June

Team Liquid also have experienced success in other games, but the org’s teams have fallen short of winning championships in those games. In Dota, TL have experienced much heartbreak as they have finished second to Gaimin Gladiators at all three Majors. TL also finished second at the Rainbow Six Copenhagen Major. TL’s CS:GO team has been one of the best teams in the Americas, reaching the playoffs at IEM Katowice, ESL Pro League Season 17 and the Paris Major. In Rocket League, Team Liquid achieved their best-ever finish as they reached the semifinals of the RLCS Winter Major.

3. G2 Esports

Photo credit: Helena Kristiansson / ESL

G2 separated itself early this year with wins at IEM Katowice, the Six Invitational and the LEC Winter Playoffs. In fact, the organization won these three titles in CS:GO, Rainbow Six and League of Legends over the span of two weeks. It was the first time G2 won IEM Katowice, the org’s second Six invitational title and yet another LEC title for the European juggernauts.

Read more: G2 win IEM Katowice 2023

The Katowice title was a continuation of the org’s dominance in CS:GO since late last year when G2 won the Blast World Final. In fact, G2 nearly had a perfect run in Katowice, racking up a 21-map win streak and only dropping one map at the tournament. The Rainbow Six title was the most unlikely of the trifecta. G2 were not one of the top ranked teams heading into Rainbow Six’s world championship event, but they went on an epic lower bracket run, winning six consecutive matches while facing elimination to reach the final and ultimately capture the title. The LEC winter title was yet another League of Legends domestic title for the winningest organization in European League of Legends. Besides these three titles early in the year, G2’s women’s VALORANT team took home the first Game Changers title for the EMEA region in May. G2 Gozen were world champions last year, and after a strong start to regional play, they look like the favorites to repeat this year.

4. Fnatic

Photo credit: Liu YiCun / Riot Games

Fnatic won Masters Tokyo to win their second consecutive international VALORANT event after winning VCT LOCK//IN. They are the first team in VALORANT history to win consecutive global events. In fact, they’re the first team to win multiple global events. Fnatic have established themselves as the team to beat in 2023, although they did fall short of winning the VCT EMEA league as they lost in the final to Team Liquid. Outside of that loss, Fnatic have gone undefeated so far in 2023 and are squarely the favorites at Champions.

Read more: VALORANT Masters Tokyo: Fnatic win again, EG exceed expectations and more

In Apex Legends, Fnatic finished eighth at the ALGS Split 1 Playoffs after winning the first split of the season in the APAC North region. They also won the second split of the year in the APAC North region and will be among the favorites at the Split 2 playoffs.

5. Team Vitality

Photo credit: Blast

Team Vitality’s victory at the CS:GO Paris Major will be remembered for many reasons. First, it was the fact that the French organization won the Major in front of their home fans in the French capital. Second, this was the final CS:GO Major, which gives their victory a sense of finality. Finally, it was a record fifth Major victory for Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen and the first for Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, who has long been considered one of the best players in the game. The Major win was the second of back-to-back titles for Vitality after the team won IEM Rio the previous month.

Read more: Nerd Street opens first collegiate esports venue at Rowan University

Although Vitality have made their mark in CS:GO this year, the French organization is racking up accolades in Rocket League too. Vitality won the RLCS Spring Major after picking up victories at all three European regional events leading up to the international tournament. It was essentially a perfect split for Vitality — a feat that no other team has accomplished.

6. Gaimin Gladiators

Photo credit: Viola Schuldner / ESL

Gaimin Gladiators have won all three Majors this year and both DreamLeague seasons to definitely establish themselves as the best Dota 2 team in the world so far this year. All that’s left is for them to win The International to cap off a perfect season. Their dominance in Dota this year is unparalleled by any other team in any other esport this year. Outside of Dota, the organization’s other notable result has come in Rocket League, where Gaimin Gladiators were the sole representatives of the APAC region at the RLCS Winter Major and will represent APAC at RLCS Worlds too.

7. Evil Geniuses

Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

Evil Geniuses made waves with their run to the VALORANT Masters Tokyo final last month. From barely qualifying for the VCT Americas playoffs to nearly claiming an international championship and the title of best team in the world, EG’s VALORANT team has been on quite a run lately. EG’s Dota team also has been quite good as they won South America’s DPC Tour 3 season.

8. OpTic Gaming

Photo credit: 343 Industries / Halo Championship Series

As usual, OpTic’s Call of Duty team had another excellent season though fell short of winning any championships. OpTic Texas finished second at back-to-back Majors. In Halo, OpTic were champions of the first Major of the year.

9. LOUD

Photo credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games

LOUD have rapidly established themselves as the premier Brazilian esports organization this year with success in both VALORANT and League of Legends. In VALORANT, LOUD finished second at VCT LOCK//IN and then won the inaugural season of the VCT Americas league. They are heading to Masters Tokyo where they will be among the favorites to win the next international VALORANT tournament. In League, LOUD won the first split of the year in Brazil’s CBLoL and made an appearance at the Mid-Season Invitational.

10. Overactive Media

Photo credit: Michal Konkol / Riot Games

Overactive Media’s collection of esports teams includes two championship squads this year in the Call of Duty League’s Toronto Ultra and MAD Lions from the League of Legends European Championship. The Toronto Ultra won a Major this season and finished second at the Call of Duty League Championship. MAD Lions were champions of the LEC spring split and went on to compete at the Mid-Season Invitational.

The next 10

These 10 teams have all put up notable results this year but haven’t quite done enough to crack the top 10. Complexity and Natus Vincere have both put together excellent seasons — Complexity in Rocket League and NAVI in CS:GO — but neither has been able to win or even reach an international final. Heroic won the Blast Spring finals in CS:GO and finished second at two other big events. TSM won Apex Legends’ ALGS Split 1 playoffs after being North American champions. Gen.G have been the dominant North American team in Rocket League and also were champions of Korea’s LCK in League of Legends this spring.

11. Complexity

12. Natus Vincere

13. Heroic

14. NRG

15. TSM

16. Gen.G

17. T1

18. Spacestation

19. Oxygen

20. Cloud9

Lead photo credit: Helena Kristiansson / ESL