A Rising Power in the French VALORANT Scene: Gentle Mates Sweep VCT EMEA Ascension
A new force has emerged from the passionate French VALORANT community. Led by a highly respected former Counter-Strike captain, the Gentle Mates roster is making its mark in VCT EMEA.
The EMEA Ascension tournament showcased the top-performing teams from various Challengers leagues, along with one play-in team. However, it was the French champions, Gentle Mates, who stole the show by defeating Acend and Apeks in back-to-back 3-0 series wins in both the lower and grand finals.
Notably, Acend and Apeks were the only teams that had defeated Gentle Mates earlier in the tournament. However, the French team, led by veteran CS shot-caller Kévin “Ex6TenZ” Droolans, got their revenge in the playoffs. Gentle Mates dominated their opponents by taking an early lead in each match and securing comprehensive 3-0 victories. It’s worth mentioning that Apeks had the upper-bracket advantage with map bans.
The statistics from the tournament speak to the dominance of Gentle Mates. All five starting players ranked in the top 11 in player rating throughout the playoffs, according to VLR.gg. Logan “logaN” Corti, the sentinel/Viper expert who previously played for Team BDS, stood out as one of the top five players in player rating for the entire tournament.
Gentle Mates not only excelled in gameplay but also attracted the most viewers throughout the tournament. They featured in all five of the most-watched matches of EMEA Ascension, and their grand finals win against Apeks became the most-watched match of any Ascension tournament across the Americas and Pacific regions, with a peak viewership of 227,232, according to Esports Charts.
Buoyed by their success and the support of the passionate French FPS community, Gentle Mates have the opportunity to establish themselves as a formidable force in VCT EMEA. Despite a tough season for Karmine Corp, the French team remained one of the most-watched teams of the 2023 season. The French fan base is known for its electrifying energy, as seen in the LFL league and Vitality’s victory at the Paris CS:GO Major. Fans are eagerly awaiting the rise of a dominant French VALORANT team.
With their recent triumphs, it seems Gentle Mates may just be that team.