ZETA DIVISION sign mini as Coaching Advisor
mini continues his stint in VCT Pacific for another season, now with ZETA DIVISION.
JAPAN – ZETA DIVISION have announced the signing of Jacob “mini” Harris as a Coaching Advisor, adding one of VALORANT’s most decorated coaching minds to their staff ahead of the 2026 season.
“My role as coaching advisor will be primarily to work with the coaching staff with whatever they need,” mini explained on Twitter. Slightly different than PRX but will see how it morphs.” It remains unclear whether mini will relocate to Seoul with the team next year or continue working primarily in an online capacity, as he has done with previous projects.
mini arrives with a track record that spans multiple regions and the highest level of international competition. The British coach is best known for his long run with FNATIC, where he spent five seasons beginning in 2020 and helped build one of the most consistently successful structures in the game.
That stretch peaked in 2023, when FNATIC captured two international trophies, winning in São Paulo and Tokyo, while also maintaining their status as one of EMEA’s top domestic performers. Across that period, mini developed a reputation for strong preparation, elite opponent scouting, and the kind of system building that tends to translate across metas and roster iterations.
More recently, mini was involved with Paper Rex for much of the year, supporting the team for the majority of the season in a remote capacity. That run included a third-place finish at VCT Pacific Stage 1, and culminated in Paper Rex’s biggest achievement to date, winning VALORANT Masters Toronto. He later stepped away after the season ended, with Paper Rex finishing fourth at VALORANT Champions Paris.
“To all the fans, you’ve always welcomed me warmly, and through my work in Japan I’ve been able to make so many wonderful memories,” mini said in a Japanese-language press release. “Next season, I want to support ZETA’s victories and repay those feelings!”
ZETA will be hoping mini’s addition can help turn the page after a difficult 2025 season. The Japanese team struggled to find traction and failed to reach the playoffs across the season, frequently ending up near the bottom of the table. At the same time, they have increasingly been challenged domestically by DetonatioN FocusMe, who have looked sharper in both results and roster stability.
They have also shown a willingness to seek external input in recent years, previously experimenting with additions such as Carlos “Carlão” Mohn and Ivan “Johnta” Shevtsov. Those moves did not translate into a lasting turnaround. That context makes the mini signing feel like another swing at solving a familiar problem, but with a profile that is difficult to ignore given his resume.
mini joins a roster that currently features three confirmed players: Shota “SugarZ3ro” Watanabe, Yuto “Xdll” Mizomori, and Yeom “eKo” Wang-ryong, with ZETA DIVISION yet to reveal the rest of their 2026 lineup.
His first official match in the role is set for the 2026 VCT Pacific Kickoff, where ZETA DIVISION are scheduled to face FULL SENSE, formerly known as TALON Esports.
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