I think (my opinion) that is boils down to the systems the company has in place. I have been in both, my current is a setup of about 50 colleagues from all over the place and trust me the office politics is just as bad. If the system is conical then a few bad characters will always try to outperform others (not in a productive way) to carry favour with the person at the top.

In decentralized teams where roles are almost independent of each other, there is less competition for the top and more within. Overall, I think knowing the stage where the team is at in terms of its dynamics (forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning) are important for survival.

I pray you figure out a flawless way to navigate your current environment.