i would’ve liked to see him on drx instead of athan tbh

idk how to feel abt this tbh…

i’ve always said yoman deserves to be in tier one, but in terms of what he offers to a team, it doesn’t make sense that he’s paired with munchkin. they’re both igls who can frag decently, but not to the level of some other options.

highkey the only way this roster gets any better is if meiy joins over either xdll or sugarzero

if this iteration of zeta doesnt at least makes some internationals, idk if jp val has any hope left...

sayaplayer goes to geng as senti

LFGGGGG

this is actually the closest we’ve ever been to a jp superteam

really now

ZETA 2025:

SyouTa
Dep
hiroronn
SugarZ3r0
CLZ [IGL]
Euler/Vorz [COACH]

what.

with Laz gone surely we put hiroronn on sentinel now

I recently had this thought that T1 should build more around Sayaplayer, allowing him to play more like 2022 yay on chamber, jett, etc… Esp since it seemed like they were experimenting with it at the end of split 2 and Saya was frying.

Basically T1 would need loads of extremely flexible players, and notably one that can play the other duelists (iZu fits this description but tbh i’m not sold on him bc he’s been way to inconsistent the past year)

The roster for T1 I landed on was:

Duel: Sayaplayer
Init: stax
Senti: L0B
Contr: Estrella [IGL]
Flex: Rb

As i mentioned before Sayaplayer’s role would be more akin to an awper than a duelist, while Rb would play the other duelists. L0B and Estrella would also be able to flex across multiple roles. Finally if Estrella can’t be acquired from RRQ to IGL, Hermes or exy (kr challengers) are worse but viable substitutes for the role.

OML L0B IS SO CRIMINALLY UNDERRRATED HE NEEDS TO BE ON A KOREAN TEAM

totally agree the coaching staff has been subpar, but at the same time i feel that between SugarZ3r0 and Laz the zeta core has been given way too long to solve their IGLing issues (2 years!!).

In my mind zeta need 2 things: An IGL and coaching staff pair which will improve the team’s mid-rounding, and just overall more firepower.

SyouTa and Xdll are world-class aimers (just by the eye) and will provide Dep with much needed fragging support. CLZ is a more experienced and proven IGL despite being very hot and cold aim wise. And finally if Laz is thinking of retiring, then hiroronn can finally shine.

lowk this might actually b better, the only thing is that I don’t think Anthem is good enough to be in t1.

Xdll >>>>> Anthem

yea feels bad man, but at the very least the 3 players that have stuck together the longest totally fit the bill for what zeta needs to be successful

imo the best coaches in the jp scene are Astell (DFM), Johnna (FL), and above all Vorz (RIDDLE).

zeta should have let Vorz coach the main roster he’s proven himself so many times now.

wait SyouTa hates smokes???

damn if thats the case then id say (esp if Dep is willing to flex)

Duel: SyouTa
Init: Dep (he was pretty gud on Sova those couple of times)
Senti: Laz
Contr: SugarZ3r0 (CLZ's aim is honestly subpar, I was thinking him originally cuz he fits the roles and is seemingly the best JP igl, but i think sugarzero can do it given the right coaching staff)
Flex: Aace

solution: drop foxy9 and get yoman for igl

lolll this was back when they dropped Rb and Zest. like i understood Zest cuz he wasn't putting up world-class performances, but damn foxy9 took a pretty long time before his replacing Rb seemed justified.

yea mean the omen/flex role suited him much better :(((

i used to b a massive foxy9 hater, but recently hes def improved. i just dont think he's what drx need to be the best.

between him and BeYN, they cant have 2 inconsistent players; my move would be to sign yoman (a dedicated hard initiator player and proven igl), and but BeYN back on the flex role, where he seems to perform better at least looking at his performance in stage 1. BeYN may not be the best aimer, but he brings good insight as a secondary caller (and vibes ig) - hes like korean ethan.

although thats not to say foxy9 is bad or anything, he should def be picked up by another korean org as a sentinel player.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

thoughts on -Foxy9 +yoman (as igl)

if they got yoman then he would b playing the same roles as stax

+yoman -Foxy9

Flashback is just more consistent then Foxy9 and they play the same roles. BeYN is a good leader but I think this team would benefit from an experienced and proven IGL.

zeta next year:

Duel: Dep
Init: CLZ
Senti: Laz
Contr: SyouTa
Flex: Aace
Coach: Vorz

then they start making internationals

Jremy
invy
PapiChulo
marky
kellyS

:)

:(

Whole vet year schedule is actually terrible; how is it that regional teams might only be playing each other as little as once a year?

Was thinking this could be a good format:

Week 1-8: OFF SEASON

Week 9-20: Split 1 (~6 Bo3s per week)
Week 21: Dead Week, Prep for Playoffs
Week 22: Playoffs 1
Week 25-26: Masters

<< Week 27: Start of New Episode, Map Pool Change >>

Week 27-30: BREAK, Prep for Split 2

Week 31-42: Split 2 (~6 Bo3s per week)
Week 43: Dead Week, Prep for Playoffs
Week 44: Playoffs 2
Week 47-50: Champions

<< Week 51: Start of New Episode, Map Pool Change >>

Week 51-52: OFF SEASON

**Note: VCT map pools could have 7 maps at a time, rotating every 6 months, while ranked/competitive map pools could have 9 maps, rotating every 2 months. (2 maps in, 2 maps out for both pools)

thoughts?

regionally fs but the way they’re lookin rn i think internationally they get stomped again :(

i was thinking suzu plays senti, she played the role last year and looked p gud.

also there’s been this trend where u put ur most stable aimers on senti/viper recently.

is there a way to get the combined stats in (i’m assuming the split stats are only from pre-tech pause)

no hate but i hope ur joking abt surf

c9 2-1 kru

oxy drops 90

lev c9 and eg qual for shanghai (in seeding order)

lev 2-0 eg

g2 2-0 c9

eg 2-1 kru

based

smg 3-2 g2

dont they kind of have to bench iZu tho?

from the tweet we kno that rossy and xcurrate are starting, and between them theyll probs b playing smokes and flex. Judging by xeta's tweets and how he's so gud on initiator he's probs starting as well. Carpe's definitely out im not sure he has hands. That just leaves k1Ng, Saya, and iZu. Saya's in conversation for best korean duelist, and same goes for k1Ng on sentinel. That only leaves iZu, who played duelist in jp challengers (where he did well but honestly its jp), and was decent on smokes.

stew and Sylvan need to be brought back to kr

like imagine:
DRX - Sayaplayer, stax, Zest, MaKo, Rb
T1 - stew, xeta, k1Ng, exy, BuZz
GenG - Meteor, Lakia, t3xture, Sylvan, Munchkin

ik BuZz is pretty integral to DRX, but lowkey hes kind of a flex player and they need a higher-peaking duelist like saya to make them a contender
Lakia was pretty inconsisten in 2022 and still slightly shaky in 2023 kr challengers, so maybe give a proven up-and-comer like JoxJo or LuZ a chance (and they both play initiator). But yea this would put pretty much the top 3 kr players in every role into the pacific league.

stew and Sylvan need to be brought back to kr

like imagine:
DRX - Sayaplayer, stax, Zest, MaKo, Rb
T1 - stew, xeta, k1Ng, exy, BuZz
GenG - Meteor, Lakia, t3xture, Sylvan, Munchkin

ik BuZz is pretty integral to DRX, but lowkey hes kind of a flex player and they need a higher-peaking duelist like saya to make them a contender
Lakia was pretty inconsisten in 2022 and still slightly shaky in 2023 kr challengers, so maybe give a proven up-and-comer like JoxJo or LuZ a chance (and they both play initiator). But yea this would put pretty much the top 3 kr players in every role into the pacific league.

bro i love sugarzero man but fk mannnn

he needs a bit of aimlabs

very recently yea in the off season, but for all challengers 2023 he was smokes

I think ppl are overhyping ZETA, they're definitely going to be even better, but I just don't see them reliably beating teams like drx, prx, bleed, or even the new t1 roster. Its just that they've replaced TENNN who was extremely inconsistent and lacks proper game sense, and crow, who doesn't even have hands.

Hiroronn is solid and seems like he has a flexible agent pool. He played mostly sentinel on fennel and is adapting well to initiator.

imo Zeta should have ideally 1) saved Anthem from DFM: he’s got pretty nice aim and good game sense, by far the standout player on DFM, could do really well with a good system. 2) Move hiroronn onto more of a flex role like I mentioned earlier, and then 3) Drop Sugarzero and then pour in the resources to get SyouTa from fennel: he’s a duelist player turned smokes player and was by FAR the best and most consistent Japanese player from all of 2023 challengers. And then ofc get proper coaching staff, maybe Carlao will give them better structure.

so ideally:

• Dep (Dueiist)
• Anthem (Initiator)
• Laz (Sentinel)
• SyouTa (Controller)
• hiroronn (Flex)

pls let anthem go

if zeta can get him and another good player, ideally SyouTa but hiroronn if not ig, they could be a regional contender for at around top 3 and make it to more lans

fnatic are 100% looking like the best team in the world rn, but tbh im kinda disappointed they won cuz the other eu teams look like they need work. NAVI and FUT are way less competitive and the only one team thats still left in the dicussion would be VIT, but now they cant compete (rip twisten). in all seriousness i think that 5 americas teams would be better or maybe even an extra chinese team idk,

seems like less is playing better this year
cauanzin is rly consistent so imo he can probs be considered an upgrade over sacy
but tuyz is too inconsistent, pANcada was a better fit tbh

I have to agree with this one though. It doesn't take a legacy to improve. It takes effort and willingness to go out there and learn. Zeta and the rest of Japan have had over two years to try to improve their region's gameplay, and there is simply no improvement. They continue to show lackluster tactics and adaptation, and as a byproduct displaying what is probably going to be the most boring series of LOCK//IN. There are s many regions that have managed to improve so much despite more humble beginnings. LATAM placed dead last along with Japan in the first ever Masters event and while have showed inconsistent results rank wise, they seem to be showing so much more tactical depth even in their losses. Meanwhile Japan continues to play their reactive style of every round with no signs of adaptation. The only way they are getting rounds is either due to small mistakes from their opposing teams, or the mechanical talent that they clearly have, as opposed to creating opportunities on their own. (example of this today against LEV, t side pearl)

Zeta, Detonation, and all of Japan, need to step it up strategically, or else Masters Tokyo is going to have a really silent crowd.

LEV's firepower is rly good, but I'd argue that that's the one thing Zeta really have going for them. Their shitty plays were very often saved by insane displays of mechanical skill.

Even so, they've had years of time to try to make progress. And I ate to see it, but even when they get decent results they look shaky. Regions like LATAM that started out at the bottom, while haven't consistently having success, are showing more depth to their plays even in their losses.

Japan as a region is just falling further and further behind, and tbh, I don't see a world where a Japanese team ends up playing on the main stage in Tokyo. It doesn't seem like they have enough time, or are willing to put in the effort to improve.