The Shift 16 is back after a chaotic, upsetting, and occasionally one-sided series of Winter Opens around the world to attempt to make sense of it all. Gen.G Mobil1 Racing wins the race, as has become the usual this season, but two European lineups, including one led by a former comrade, are close behind.

North America and Europe have a staggering seven teams apiece in the standings, which is a result of numerous significant shocks that have highlighted their depth. We'll examine the results of the Winter Open for each team as well as the upcoming schedule.

The best 5 teams in the globe, regardless of geography, were chosen by our staff, who individually analyzed the official rankings.

The cumulative list below was produced by adding these ranks together.

1. North America – GenG Mobil1 Racing

Gen.G won the Winter Open, their third victory in a row (in addition to the Autumn Major). They are now 35 points ahead in North America, having advanced to an all-time-high five straight grand finals, and have qualified for every Regional. Gen.G Mobil1 Racing shows no signs of slowing down.

2. Europe – Karmine Corp

We may be comparing Karmine Corp to Gen.G if it weren't for an unexpected loss to Moist Esports in the Autumn Major. Following their win at the Winter Open, they have now claimed two victories in European competitions and have advanced to the finals of each Regional thus far. Axel #vatira is their star player. Touret keeps maintaining his outrageously high caliber of play, and Karmine Corp keeps picking up victories.

3. Europe – Oxygen Esports

After the arrival of Finlay #rise Ferguson, Oxygen Esports placed third or fourth in the Winter Open. They're on track to play in their second straight Major, and despite a trying transfer window, things should only get better. Their new star player has the credentials and Majors experience to lead Oxygen Esports in the direction they desire.

4. North America – G2 Esports

With only three games lost on route to the Winter Open semifinals, G2 Esports shown signs of their previous form. They then faced Gen.G and lost 4-1. However the defending Winter Major winners, G2 Esports, appear to be in the greatest shape of the entire year. They'll be in San Diego to defend their Major title if they keep it up.

5. North America – FaZe Clan

This past weekend, FaZe Clan's legendary consistency was nowhere to be seen as they lost a surprise upset to M80 in the first round of the Playoffs and placed 9th–12th. FaZe Clan hasn't finished outside of the top four in successive tournaments since the start of the 2021–22 season, but they haven't been down for very long either. In the Winter Cup, be prepared for them to recover.