Popular Japanese organisation ZETA DIVISION might enter 2024 with a clean slate after seeing early exits at every worldwide VALORANT competition this year. According to a report from esports reporter Seulgi on September 4, the team is purportedly looking to field a new team for the upcoming season and is looking to sell off the whole VALORANT lineup. After announcing an open application period and potential tryouts for the main lineup in August of last year, ZETA DIVISION hinted last month at significant roster changes.
Although this does mark the end of an era with the organization, there is still a chance that some of these players return to ZETA DIVISION for 2024, since the team is still supposedly willing to keep some of the players if certain deals do not go through. However, there is a high possibility that this fan favorite squad will not look the same next season.
ZETA DIVISION featured some of the best Japanese VALORANT stars on its roster, including in-game leader Koji “Laz” Ushida, who is widely regarded as the best player in the region. They also have Shota “SugarZ3ro” Watanabe, a 20-year-old rising star that still possesses a ton of potential for his career as a Controller.
This past year was, however, relatively disappointing, with ZETA DIVISION first dropping out early at the LOCK//IN tournament in São Paulo. They struggled in the Pacific League and finished in fourth place during the regular season, but managed to keep things together for the Last Chance Qualifier, where they beat Team Secret for Pacific’s final slot at Champions.
At Champions, however, the team fumbled their way through the group stage by losing against FNATIC and NRG Esports in back-to-back series. In the end, the year was lackluster and might be prompting some massive changes that could shift the team’s future into a different direction for 2024.