Valorant Gentle Mates Release Entire VCT EMEA Roster [Confirmed]

French esports organization Gentle Mates officially released their entire active Valorant starting roster and coaching staff ahead of the upcoming VCT EMEA season, dissolving a lineup led by Patryk 'starxo' Kopczynski and Martin 'marteen' Pátek after back-to-back group stage exits. According to verified reports from VLR.gg, the French organization bid farewell to players Martin 'marteen' Pátek, Patryk 'starxo' Kopczynski, Patrik 'Minny' Hušek, Yusuf 'Proxh' Emre Tunc, and Joona 'H1ber' Parviainen, alongside head coach Jiri 'KUNDIKUNDI' Honkala and assistant Erim 'Mavera' Sasal. After a breakout Kickoff run where marteen established a tournament kill record and earned the squad qualification to Masters Santiago, Gentle Mates struggled to replicate international form. The team finished top eight in Santiago with a 2-2 record before descending into regional instability during VCT EMEA Stage 1 and Stage 2. Coaching reorganizations and role shifts—including swapping Conner 'GLYPH' Garcia for Proxh—failed to rescue their competitive trajectory, culminating in consecutive 2-3 group finishes. The complete wipe signals an aggressive organizational overhaul as European tier-one franchises recalibrate recruitment budgets and contract payrolls for the next circuit. Similar to high-stakes franchise rebuilds seen in traditional sports like the [Kansas City Chiefs Not Super Bowl Contenders [Update 2026]](/news/chiefs-not-super-bowl-contenders) debate, organizational restructuring demands swift, sweeping cuts to preserve championship viability.