Some of the stories I feel are mere speculation, but given the current state of ZETA this year, some of them seem credible
1.There had been talk that ZETA would rebuild its roster if it did not do better than the 2023 season, but the loss to DFM seems to have made the rebuild definitive. This would be a larger rebuild than the 2021-22 season.
2.Laz, hiroronn, and Yuran are released, leaving only SugarZ3ro and Dep on the team; SugarZ3ro will play a full-fledged IGL role; Dep will play as a flex, not a duelist. (Dep has a very large agent pool, and he himself would prefer flex as long as there are other good duelists). Three targets for reinforcement are duelist, sentinel and main initiator.
3.Laz is highly likely to retire. He's previously mentioned retiring once he's no longer needed by the team and expressed no interest in moving to another team in YouTube videos. He also has no intention of becoming a streamer or coach and will likely pursue a different path in real life.
4.They are aiming to acquire Meiy (DFM) as a duelist, but DFM is unlikely to let him go. Therefore, Absol (MRSH) appears to be their top choice. Though just turned 18 this year, he's one of the top duelists in Japan's tier 2 scene. The question is whether MRSH's owner (Junichi Kato) will allow his release. If they fail to secure Absol, SyouTa (FL) is their second choice, though he's undecided between continuing as a pro or retiring.
5.Yatsuka (RID) is rumored to fill the vacant sentinel position left by Laz's retirement, given his past affiliation with ZETA Academy unless RID wins Ascension.
6.Xdll (FL), CLZ (FL), NOBITA (SG), and Caedye (RID) are options as initiators. To be honest, all four are not attractive options; Xdll has experience for his age, but is greatly underperforming in Split2 and has concerns about his behavior; CLZ's experience as IGL will help SugarZ3ro, but he is not as good as Sauva and Fayed; and Caedye is not as good as RID, but he is not as good as RID. Caedye is young but has not yet reached its full potential at present; given the failures of hiroronn and Yuran, it is a risky move. If they cannot get a good initiator, they may even get Aace as a smoke and SugarZ3ro, who is responsible for IGL, may turn initiator. A slight possibility, but also a scenario where Reita (MRSH) returns to ZETA, since Laz is out and there are no veterans.
7.They are considering actively recruiting foreign players, previously staunchly opposed, as long as there are no communication issues. Two listed options are half-Japanese Yotaa (SZ) and Yoshii (SZ). Yotaa becomes an option if Meiy, Absol, or SyouTa aren't acquired. Yoshii is a choice between sentinel and second duelist, competing with Yatsuka.
8.If SugarZ3ro's IGL doesn't work, Kr1stal (ex-SZ) is also an option. He is smart as an IGL, strong in shootouts, and can handle the initiator role, which is ZETA's biggest problem. Another candidate is vici (ex-SG), who was on the same team as Something, but he lacks credibility.
9.They seem committed to also bringing in Fadezis (SZ) and Toraneco (ex-SZ, now caster) as staff if they intensify efforts to recruit foreign players. Toraneco, fluent in English despite being Japanese, has close ties with Yoshii and Kr1stal, bridging Japanese players with foreign players and half-Japanese players, and is noted for his high Vaslorant IQ. Whether as a coach or analyst is unclear, but it will certainly be a positive addition.
10.Carlão will definitely be dropped from his coaching position. He already wants to go back to the BR team (probably FURIA, where he used to be). It is said that former ZETA coach XQ will return, but this is unlikely if Fadezis and Toraneco join the team.
For players in ZETA, it is known that they are subjected to excessive pressure that does not match the reality of the team. So it seems that tier 2 players want to stay with the team even if ZETA offers them a job. If the restructuring is not decisive at an early stage and the players do not give up this season, they risk repeating the same mistakes they made this year in 2025.
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