Esports fans often see teams rise and fall. But a recent announcement from Riot Games has everyone talking. French esports team Gentle Mates, also known as M8, is back. They are now an official partner team in the VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA (VCT EMEA). The organization shared this big news on Tuesday, October 7th.
This comeback is quite a story. Just two years ago, M8 soared. They won the Ascension event in 2023. This victory brought them into VALORANT’s top league. But their success did not last. After their first year, things went south. By 2025, bad game results pushed them down. They were relegated directly to Tier 2.
Despite this recent stumble, Riot Games made a surprising choice. Gentle Mates now fills a vacant spot. This opening came from Movistar KOI. That team lost its partnership due to contract issues with Riot. It seems M8 gets a second shot at the big time. Their own announcement video excitedly declared, “WE’RE BACK! Gentle Mates will indeed be present in VCT next season.”
WE’RE BACK !
Gentle Mates sera bien présent en VCT la saison prochaine pic.twitter.com/LCUxCoAJaz
— Gentle Mates (@gentlemates) October 7, 2025
This new, permanent slot puts Gentle Mates back into Tier 1 play. They will compete in Riot Games’ tactical First Person Shooter (FPS) in 2026. It is a fresh chance to make up for last season. In 2025, they faced a tough challenge. The team finished with a very poor record: five games played, five losses. Now, they aim to turn that record around.