M8 Nami: "Now everyone knows who we are, that we're ready and that we're a fucking beast"

Gentle Mates GC have taken down defending champions Team Liquid Brazil in their opening series at the VALORANT Game Changers Championship 2026. The EMEA representatives defeated the Brazilian organization in a dominant 2-0 fashion to advance to the upper semifinals, where they will face the winner of G2 Gozen vs. MIBR GC on October 27.

After M8GC’s victory, Sheep Esports spoke with the team’s IGL, Iman "Nami" Nagaaoui and latest roster addition, Safia "safiaa" Leghzal, to discuss their confidence heading into the event, Gülce "wens" Sürmeli’s MVP performance, their upcoming match, their experience in Brazil and more.

Iman "Nami" Nagaaoui: “We're really proud of ourselves and happy with the result. We were confident even before the game started. We were ready to win and we did. I'm proud of the team and my teammates. Everyone played amazingly, including Team Liquid Brazil. They were strong opponents, but we were better.

Safia "safiaa" Leghzal: Beating last year's world champions means a lot, but it also means kind of nothing because this is only the first step of the competition. We still have more steps to take, so we need to stay focused.

Nami: Yeah, it wouldn't change anything if we were playing Team Liquid or any other team. We're taking it game by game, trusting ourselves and staying confident.

Nami: We know our level. People expected Team Liquid to win because they were the previous GCC champions, but we weren't paying attention to those predictions. We were focused on ourselves. I don't mind who people expect to win or lose. At the end of the day, we're the ones playing and those predictions don't change anything for us. We were confident, knew what we needed to do and delivered. We're proud of the team.

safiaa: When I found out I would be switching roles, I thought it would be really difficult. However, I think I adapted well to the change within a month and I'm doing great in this role.

Nami: She learned really quickly and did an amazing job. We already knew each other, which made it easy for us to play together as a five-player roster.

safiaa: The team made me feel welcome, so it wasn't difficult to fit in. I am playing the same VALORANT and I'm really happy here.

Nami: I think it's because we know our level and have worked hard to get here. All that hard work came together today. For me, VALORANT is 50% mindset, maybe even more. We trust each other and believe in ourselves and that makes a huge difference. It's the power of friendship, I would say. We know we're good and can beat anyone. We didn't feel much pressure, even with the crowd cheering for Team Liquid. We stayed focused on our game and nothing could distract us. We kept believing in ourselves and took it round by round.

safiaa: It's normal for her. She helped us a lot today and delivered an incredible performance.

Nami: We know her level, so we weren't surprised. This is what everyone on our team is capable of. Anyone can deliver a performance like that and finish as MVP. She was incredible today, as always. I'm especially happy to see her perform so well because I know how hard she's been working on her confidence and mindset. Seeing her deliver against a team like Team Liquid makes me proud. I'm glad everyone got to see how talented she is. We're really proud of her.

safiaa: I'm really happy to have the opportunity to play with this team. It means a lot to me and I was excited to compete today. I started a little shaky on the first map, but that's part of the game. I adapted quickly and the second map felt easier. I'm really thankful to Gentle Mates and the team for this opportunity.

Nami: I'm happy and proud of the team, as well as my own performance and calls. However, I expected us to win, so I don't think this result adds much to my confidence as an IGL. I've been working on my IGLing every day since the beginning of the year. My coaches have helped me a lot and the girls support me in-game, too. I've been waiting for this moment and wanted to be here. I had almost no pressure today. My performance was more about individual play and I was shaking a little. I think I was too focused on the minimap and wasn't fully engaged in the game, which affected my aim. But with four Thanos by my side, I could do this every day.

Nami: I didn't really hear the crowd much, except when Team Liquid won a few rounds. However, I felt that they gradually lost confidence.

safiaa: They're not that loud! They should come to France and experience the Gentle Mates fanbase. They'll be shocked.

Nami: But I also feel that they became more respectful as the game went on. They saw our level and respected that. I think playing in front of a crowd that was fully behind Team Liquid added a lot of pressure on them, while we had less pressure on that side. I'm happy they got to see our level because I don't think many people knew Gentle Mates outside Europe or those who had been following us. I'm just so happy that now everyone knows who we are, that we're ready and that we're a fucking beast.

safiaa: G2, because I want to show everyone that EMEA is on top.

Nami: I don't mind who we face, but playing G2 again would be nice, especially now that we have Safiaa.

safiaa: And you have revenge to take, too!

Nami: Yes, we want revenge for the grand final in Turkey. That was our first time playing against G2 on stage and there were things we needed to improve. We've worked on those weaknesses and with safiaa joining the team, we're even more confident. It would be fun to face them again because I don't think we'd give them a chance.

safiaa: We haven't tried any Brazilian specialities yet. I've struggled a little during the tournament because I'm quite picky with food, but we've always found a solution. We also head out for morning walks, usually for around 30 minutes, without going too far from the hotel. From what I've seen, Brazil and São Paulo in particular, is really beautiful.

Nami: I'd also add one more thing. Brazilians are incredibly nice. Whenever we go somewhere, we end up talking to someone and everyone is so welcoming. I really love Brazilian people.

safiaa: I also want to give a shout-out to Brazilian Ranked players. They're so kind and we're genuinely surprised by it. EMEA players can be really toxic, but the Brazilian players we've encountered have been so nice.

Nami: EMEA Ranked is incredibly toxic. When we arrived in Brazil and started playing Ranked, everyone was so friendly. I've never encountered players who were this kind. Everyone we've met has been lovely and we really appreciate that. The city is beautiful, the people are nice and we've been eating well, too. São Paulo can be a little complicated when it comes to food, but everything has been great. I love Brazil.”