Gentle Mates Complete Reverse Sweep Against Karmine Corp in VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1

The match between Gentle Mates and Karmine Corp in the VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1 ended with a 2–1 victory for Gentle Mates. The French squad managed to bounce back after losing the opening map and looked much stronger on the final two maps, completing a confident reverse sweep.

Map scores:

• Fracture — 13:9 Karmine Corp
• Haven — 13:9 Gentle Mates
• Pearl — 13:9 Gentle Mates

The series started on Fracture, where Karmine Corp controlled the pace of the game from the beginning. They looked more confident in early duels and consistently converted their advantages into round wins. Gentle Mates struggled to find stability, especially on defense, and often lost key positions on the map. Karmine Corp maintained their lead throughout the game and closed the map 13:9, taking an early advantage in the series.

On Haven, Gentle Mates responded with a much more structured performance. The game was relatively even at the start, but M8 gradually adapted and began to win more mid-round situations. Their coordination improved significantly, and they were more effective in post-plant scenarios. Karmine Corp, on the other hand, started to lose consistency and struggled to hold sites on defense. Gentle Mates took control in the second half and secured the map 13:9, tying the series 1:1.

The decider on Pearl followed a similar pattern to the second map. Gentle Mates carried their momentum into the final map and looked more confident in both aim and teamwork. They controlled the economy, won several key rounds in a row, and didn’t allow Karmine Corp to get back into the game. Despite a few successful rounds from KC, Gentle Mates maintained their advantage and closed the map 13:9, completing the comeback and winning the series 2:1.

VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 EMEA Stage 1 is a tournament organized by Riot Games. The event features 12 teams competing for 3 invitations to VCT 2026 Masters London. The tournament will take place in Berlin at the Riot Games Arena.