Sources: Desmo set to join Gentle Mates as Assistant Coach for 2027

With its roster for next season nearly finalized, Gentle Mates is now working on its coaching staff, which will oversee its future five-man lineup. In this regard, Sheep Esports had already reported that Adam "kaplan" Kaplan was expected to become the project's head coach. Now, according to sources close to the situation, he is expected to be joined by Casper "Desmo" Rasmussen as an assistant coach, following a verbal agreement with the French organization.

Regarding Gentle Mates, Sheep Esports has so far reported four expected player arrivals, including Emir "Alfajer" Beder from Fnatic and Uğur "Ruxic" Güç from Natus Vincere, as well as the duo of Denis-Stefan "kozzy" Aionitoaei and Martin "Magnum" Peňkov, who played for Enterprise this year.

Mates' 2026 season was defined by mixed results following a particularly eventful start. Joining the circuit late after Riot Games ended its partnership with KOI, the French organization had little time to assemble its roster. Despite these circumstances, M8 made an impressive start to the season. At Kickoff, the team secured the second European seed for Masters Santiago, earning its first-ever appearance at an international VALORANT LAN. In Chile, Gentle Mates advanced past the group stage but failed to carry that momentum into the playoffs, suffering consecutive defeats against Nongshim RedForce in the upper bracket and All Gamers in the lower bracket.

The remainder of the season proved less consistent. Back in Berlin for VCT EMEA, Gentle Mates were unable to reproduce their Kickoff form and settled for a 5th-6th-place finish. The stage also saw a change to the coaching staff, raising further questions about the project's continuity. Nevertheless, M8 qualified for the Esports World Cup. Despite making another roster change ahead of the tournament, the team once again advanced beyond the group stage and reached the playoffs, eventually finishing 5th-6th in Paris. VCT EMEA Stage 2 brought the season to a more difficult end, with Gentle Mates finishing in 13th-16th place.

For Desmo, 2026 marked his return to Europe following a difficult season in VCT Americas with Leviatán in 2025. His year at Fnatic was no easier, as the British organization struggled to find its footing. Alongside Alfajer, whom he is now expected to reunite with at M8, the Danish coach nevertheless enjoyed a relatively strong start at VCT EMEA Kickoff, finishing in the top four and coming close to qualifying for Masters Santiago. Fnatic failed to maintain that level for the rest of the season, finishing 5th-6th in Stage 1 before missing out on qualification for the Esports World Cup.

Desmo's highlight instead came in the Esports Nations Cup qualifier, with the finals ultimately postponed to 2027, where he helped Denmark qualify as head coach. Competing in the Western Europe qualifier, the Nordic country secured one of the two available spots at the final tournament alongside France, defeating Germany, Sweden, and Portugal along the way. Back in Berlin for the final stage of the season, Fnatic once again struggled to find its rhythm, finishing 11th-12th in Stage 2 before being eliminated by Joblife in the Play-In.