Zara

In the world of Fortnite, where new names flash and fade at a breakneck speed, Joel Zaramella, or simply Zara, goes at his own pace. He doesn’t make waves around the world, doesn’t give interviews after every tournament, and few people know about him outside the esports community. But he’s there. He plays. And he’s earning his place in the sun. Joel is Italian. His exact age remains unknown, as do many details of his biography. But maybe that’s what’s romantic about it? Without unnecessary hype, without pathos, Zara just does what he knows how to do — play. And he does it with dignity. He received his first award back in 2019 — back then it was $700. Not that much, but for a young player it was the beginning of the journey. Then — year after year — he steadily gained experience and prize money.

• 2022 was a really good year for him: $9,075, 15 tournaments, and even if he didn’t always win first place, the main thing was that he was growing.
• 2023 was also busy – another $8,400, including his biggest career reward: $4,000 for 19th place in FNCS Major 2. Some might say that 19th place is not the pinnacle. But if you know how competitive the Fortnite scene is in Europe, you will understand that even breaking into the top 20 is already an achievement.

Interestingly, Zara spent most of his career alone, without the support of large organizations. Only recently, he briefly joined the Risposta Totem Esports team, with whom he competed in several tournaments and earned $4,500. But the bulk of his success is independent work. Online tournaments, night training, disappointments after unsuccessful matches and joy when everything finally works out. He is not a hero of the news, but his work is worth respect. Zara has made fans happy more than once:

• Winning the Stepney Cup in 2024 — although not the largest tournament, a victory is always nice.
• 4th place in the Elite Cup Final in 2022 — when he literally missed the podium.
• 3rd place in the Fast Threes Cup — and again proves that he should be taken seriously.

He has been one step away from the top more than once. And each such step is an experience that makes him stronger. Now Joel is at the point where a lot can change. He is stable, experienced and knows the value of every victory. Perhaps he will soon be part of a strong team or surprise everyone at one of the major tournaments. But even if this does not happen, he has already established himself as a player. Zara is about perseverance, about love for Fortnite and about a journey where not only the finish line is important, but every step along the way.