Mehdi "Potent" Bouchaffra will be playing his first EMEA Masters, but not in the most conventional way. Gentle Mates announced on Tuesday that their toplaner, Panagiotis "Empyros" Tantis, has been injured and will not be able to participate in M8’s upcoming matches in the competition. This comes right after their first game, a 24-minute stomp against eSuba yesterday, which launched them perfectly into their third EMEA Masters appearance in the team’s history.

Their second match takes place this Tuesday in a fratricidal duel against Karmine Corp Blue, the reigning LFL champions. Potent will therefore have quite the challenge ahead of him in his 1v1 against Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin, one of the top toplaners in all of Europe. It’s a real test for Potent, who just won LFL Division 2 with Esprit Shōnen, and then succeeded in the Up & Down, allowing him to qualify for an ERL 1 for the first time in his career.

A baptism by fire on the toplane

Gentle Mates warmly thanked Esprit Shōnen for their flexibility in letting their player seize this opportunity. Currently competing in Jean "Trayton" Medzadourian’s SoloQ Challenge, Potent will need to quickly adapt to this remote competitive environment while playing alongside his temporary teammates. Known for his Fiora, he has also frequently been seen this year on K’Sante, Ambessa, and other meta picks. However, he also has a few pocket picks of his own that could come out if the team decides to give him some freedom despite the situation.