MenaRD Is Coming to SFL Japan With ZETA DIVISION

Street Fighter League Japan team ZETA DIVISION has dropped their roster for the upcoming season, and it comes with a massive surprise— MenaRD.

The two-time Capcom Cup champion has been announced as a loan player for ZETA DIVISION for the season and will join Evo Japan winner Yamaguchi, Evo Japan third place finisher Higuchi, and former Evo and Capcom Cup winner Momochi. Jazzy, a respected figure in the competitive scene, has also been announced as the team's coach for the season.

MenaRD, currently signed with Weibo Gaming, will be eligible to compete with ZETA DIVISION under SFL JP's new rules regarding registered players. Under those rules, MenaRD qualifies as a free agent, meaning he is signed to a team that does not compete in SFL Japan, which makes him available for loan.

ZETA DIVISION has historically put together some of the most ambitious rosters in SFL Japan, including securing Kakeru for last season, only for that to fall through due to Kakeru's well-documented health issues. The team recently parted ways with Hikaru, who has since joined RIDDLE Order and been announced on their SFL roster.

What The Addition Of MenaRD Means

The addition of MenaRD is a significant moment for SFL Japan. Following the success of LeShar's collaboration with REJECT in previous seasons, it is possible this opens the door further for international players to compete in the league on a loan basis.

With ZETA's announcement confirmed, only a handful of teams have yet to reveal their SFL rosters. Among the most anticipated is REJECT, now without the talents of LeShar and Tokido, whose announcement has the scene genuinely anticipating whether they will surprise everyone with a signing from left field.

SFL Japan will begin sometime in the second half of the year and given the gruelling schedule, MenaRD will be based in Japan for a significant period. 

Beyond SFL Japan, the move carries implications for the SFL USA edition, where MenaRD has been a regular presence with Team Bandits, a team he now part-owns. Without him, Team Bandits will need to bring in a replacement, with Enzo among the names being discussed, and will head into the new season considerably weakened as a result. How both teams navigate his absence and his loan stint respectively, will be one of the more compelling subplots of the upcoming SFL season.