Summary:
- Riot Games has confirmed that Gentle Mates will join VCT EMEA as a partner team for the 2026 season.
- Gentle Mates are replacing Movistar KOI, who lost their spot after failing to meet Riot’s partnership rules.
- Along with Gentle Mates, two teams from VCT Ascension EMEA will also join, keeping the total number of teams as twelve.
VCT EMEA is getting a new face for the 2026 season, as Riot Games officially welcomes Gentle Mates to the league. The French organization will take over KOI’s former spot, after the Spanish team was removed for not meeting Riot’s partnership standards. This big change is not only for Gentle Mates and KOI but for the whole VCT EMEA scene as a whole this season, too.
KOI’s Exit from VCT EMEA
Earlier in September 2025, Riot Games announced that Movistar KOI would no longer be part of the VCT EMEA partner program. This was surprising news, as KOI is one of the founding teams in the league. Riot said the decision came after a contract breach, though it didn’t share full details.
Reports later revealed that the issue may have involved streaming requirements, which were included in their partnership agreement. Since KOI couldn’t meet those requirements, their partner slot was removed. This exit opened up one spot for the 2026 VCT season, and Riot invited other teams to apply for it. Since then, many fans have speculated that Gentle Mates would be the ones most fitting to fill the vacant slot.
Selecting the New Partner Team
On October 7, 2025, Riot Games announced that Gentle Mates had been chosen as the new partner team for VCT EMEA 2026. Out of several organizations that were invited to apply, Gentle Mates reportedly earned the highest scores.
The teams were evaluated based on factors like team stability, competitive experience, community support, and long-term potential. Riot said that these are the same standards it applied when first choosing partner teams back in 2023.
Now, Gentle Mates have earned their one-year partnership after this selection, and they can compete as an official VCT EMEA team once again. They will join 11 other partnered teams next season, including two that would qualify through the Ascension system. Their partnership will last through the end of 2026.
Gentle Mates Return to VCT EMEA
This isn’t the first time Gentle Mates has been part of the VCT EMEA league. The team originally earned a spot by winning the 2023 Ascension tournament, which gave them one year in the top division.
Since the team is co-owned by popular French content creators, they quickly gained one of the biggest fanbases in European VALORANT. However, after a tough 2025 season where they finished last in their group, they were relegated back to the French Challengers league. Even so, their fans stayed loyal and kept supporting them.
Why Riot Picked Gentle Mates
This connection with fans and a large community behind Gentle Mates made them the perfect fit to fill the open spot. The team also operates from Berlin, close to Riot’s EMEA headquarters, which helps with logistics and promotion. Riot said Gentle Mates ticked all of the boxes for an ideal partner team—both competitively and commercially.
Their return also keeps the region diverse, balancing power between French, Spanish, and Northern European teams in the league.
Conclusion
Looking ahead to VCT 2026, Gentle Mates now have another chance to prove themselves. Their new partnership will run until the end of 2026, when Riot reviews all partnered teams for the next season. If the Gentle Mates VCT EMEA partnership goes well, they could earn a longer spot in the league. For now, fans are just excited to see them back on stage. After a year away, the big question is—can Gentle Mates keep up with Europe’s best teams?
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