Gentle Mates are continuing to shape their roster ahead of the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA season. As reported earlier by Sheep Esports, the French organization has already made several additions, including Pavle “pakko” Kostić (Head Coach), Taranvir “bipo” Singh, and Martin “marteen” Pátek. Moreover, Gentle Mates are expected to retain their young star Patrik “Minny” Hušek, a decision that one of the team’s co-founders, Corentin “Gotaga” Houssein, has openly emphasized.

According to sources close to Sheep Esports, and as reported first by X account @VCTUPDATE, Gentle Mates have now secured their fourth player for the upcoming season: Patryk "starxo" Kopczyński. The Polish player joins after a year with Joblife in the Challengers League France, marking his return to VCT EMEA after a year and a half away from the top level.

Initiating the Climb

With starxo, Gentle Mates are bringing in a player rich in experience. The Polish Sova main has been competing in VALORANT since 2020 and boasts a world championship title, having lifted the Champions 2021 trophy with Acend. While he hasn’t replicated that same success in recent years, starxo has remained a consistent presence in top-tier competition — except for 2025, when he joined JL in the VCL France.

His year with Joblife was, overall, a successful domestic campaign for the In-Game Leader. In Stage 1, JL finished second in their group behind Mandatory before sweeping through the playoffs and taking home the title after a 3–0 grand final victory over the same MDR. That win marked Joblife’s third consecutive VCL title, following their two championship runs in 2024.

Thanks to this result, JL qualified for Challengers EMEA, where they struggled, finishing 9–12th after failing to win a single group-stage match. Returning to VCL France, the French roster hit its first rough patch in a long time, placing 5–6th in the next stage.

However, JL bounced back in Stage 3, repeating their earlier pattern: second in their group, then a flawless playoff run, capped off by another 3–0 win over Mandatory in the grand final. Impressively, they did not drop a single map throughout the playoffs. Still, their international run ended similarly, as they once again failed to make it out of groups in Challengers EMEA, finishing 5–8th overall.

Throughout this Tier 2 season, starxo proved his worth once again, standing out as a key factor in JL’s success. It’s only natural, then, that the Polish Free Agent player finds a home at the top level in 2026. His last VCT appearance dates back to Stage 1 of 2024, when he represented KOI.

Aiming Higher than 7th for M8

The goal is clear for Gentle Mates: to build a balanced roster that combines experience and young talent and to finally break past the 7–8th place finishes that have defined their highest finish during their first two seasons in VCT.

Having recently secured their VCT slot for 2026 thanks to the situation around KOI and thus avoiding relegation, Gentle Mates now need to prove they belong among Europe’s elite. To achieve that, the trio of Lucas “Squeezie” Hauchard, Kévin “Brawks” Georges, and Gotaga are doing everything they can to assemble a lineup capable of taking the next step — even amid a highly animated offseason.

Gentle Mates 2026 roster: