On Saturday, Riot Games stunned the
VALORANT community by
announcing the termination of its partnership with Movistar KOI in the VCT EMEA. The editor accused the Spanish team of “
failure to immediately replace Ibai Llanos as the main asset broadcasting the matches” and of not fulfilling the co-streaming hours that were contractually required — a clause unique to KOI within the EMEA partnership structure. The vacant spot must now be reallocated before the start of the 2026 season, and one team could well take advantage of the situation: Gentle Mates.
After a completely disastrous season, M8, Ascension EMEA 2023 winner, lost their slot in the league and
were supposed to be relegated in Challengers France. But during the season, one of the club co-founders, Lucas "Squeezie" Hauchard, had announced that the club would very likely shut down its
VALORANT division if the team were to lose its spot in the top tier, until they get a partnership spot.
KOI's departure therefore reshuffles the deck by opening up a seat in EMEA.
During the Fortnite World Cup final in Lyon, which was streamed live, Lucas “Squeezie” Hauchard spoke about the current uncertainty and Gentle Mates position: “We still don't know if we're in or not. If we get the chance to apply, we won't hesitate.” He also pointed out that the organization still has an operational base in Berlin, which would be a clear logistical advantage if Riot formally opens up applications for the EMEA slot.
Why Gentle Mates candidacy would make sense
If an official application window opens, the challenge will be to present a credible, competitive project in the short term and operational stability over the long term, exactly the type of guarantees that Riot generally looks for in its partner leagues. In this context, having premises in Berlin reduces the time needed to get up and running and facilitates logistical integration if the organization is selected.
As of September 8, 2025, Riot has not announced the identity of the selected organization or detailed a public selection schedule. The publisher has only indicated that the replacement will be made official before 2026, with no impact on the league format or Ascension. In the meantime, Gentle Mates has declared itself ready to apply as soon as an official window opens.
Although relegated in sporting terms, Gentle Mates is already established in Berlin and has publicly expressed its willingness to take on the role, placing it among the natural candidates to replace KOI. However, everything will depend on the process chosen by Riot and the profile of the organization sought to fill this VCT EMEA slot before the next season.
Header Photo Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
