During its annual keynote held on Wednesday, November 26, Gentle Mates announced the signing of Marwan "Wawa" Berthe. The French organization is officially stepping into the fighting game scene by investing in 2XKO, Riot Games’ new project, which has been available in early access on PC since October 7.

Crowned champion of 2 NICE KO this past October, an event that took place during the inaugural EVO France, Wawa has quickly emerged as one of the names to watch in the early days of competitive 2XKO. Alongside the player, Gentle Mates has also enlisted Elfrid "RZA" Sandre, a well-known French commentator and tournament organizer, who will handle commentary for Wawa’s upcoming competitions.

A profile built to win

At EVO Nice, Wawa showcased a slightly less conventional profile compared to top contenders like Dominique "SonicFox" McLean or William "Leffen" Hjelte, having less experience across multiple fighting games than some of his rivals. Still, the French player remains the reigning EVO and 2022 Dragon Ball FighterZ world champion, one of the titles most similar to 2XKO within the FGC ecosystem. He dominated DBFZ before stepping back to explore other franchises like Smash and Street Fighter, all while keeping a close eye on Riot Games’ upcoming titles.

Fresh off his win at EVO France 2025, Wawa is set to make his next appearance, and his first under the Gentle Mates banner, at MINDSET 2025. There, he’ll reunite with familiar faces from the French scene such as Mael "WADE" Jomie and Yonis "Yasha" Ahamada, both former DBFZ peers. In addition to the single competition, a doubles bracket will also be featured, though Wawa’s partner for the event has yet to be announced.