It’s the final piece of the puzzle: Nikolay “Zanzarah” Akatov is set to join Misa Esports for the upcoming TCL season, as the club announced on Saturday. The jungler completes the Turkish team's roster, joining toplaner Baek “Mihile” Sang-hwi, midlaner Oh “Callme” Ji-hoon, AD Carry Muhammed Hasan “Kaori” Şentürk, and support Batu “Batuuu” Kaygusuz.

Zanzarah is by far the most seasoned member of his team. At 28, he brings extensive experience from multiple ERLs and the LEC, the EMEA League of Legends elite. However, the Russian jungler has never particularly shone there, with three unsuccessful first splits with Astralis (9th in Spring 2021, 8th in Summer 2021, and 10th in Spring 2022). He was demoted to Misfits Premier in the LFL for the Summer of 2022, then finished the split in the Rabbits' first team in the LEC, replacing Lucjan “Shlatan” Ahmad. With Misfits, he achieved his best LEC result with a fifth-place finish that summer.

Two-time EM Masters winner

While he hasn’t clinched titles at Europe’s highest level, Zanzarah’s ERL track record is noteworthy. He boasts two EMEA Masters championships: the first in 2020 with AGO Rogue (when it was still the European Masters) and the second in Spring 2024 with Eintracht Spandau. Also winner of the Prime League in the Spring, the Trundle player stayed with Spandau for the Summer Split but the team had more difficulties and only finished in fifth place.

However, the club founded by German YouTuber Maximilian “HandOfBlood” Knabe revealed that it was building a roster more geared towards entertainment than competition for the 2025 season, so Zanzarah had to find a new project. At Misa, his mission will be to elevate the team from its mid-table 2024 performance, where it finished 6th in Winter Split and 5th in Spring.

MISA Esports’ 2025 roster:

For more roster changes, don't forget to check out our Transfers Hub.