The all-new Gentle Mates CDL roster has stepped up and shocked the scene to secure a win in Kaysan’s $50,000 Black Ops 7 tournament. The Kaysan Showdown VIII was the perfect opener for the Black Ops 7 season, pulling together four teams with unparalleled prospects for the upcoming year of competitive play.
It was FaZe Vegas, LA Thieves, OpTic Texas, and Gentle Mates that took to the stage, but when the dust settled, it was a surprise for many to see Gentle Mates standing with the trophy (virtually, of course).
An Unpredictable Season
On paper, nobody would have thought that Gentle Mates would beat the other three teams. You’ve got the back-to-back-to-back world champions in OpTic Texas, the cash-backed ‘super team’ in LA Thieves, and FaZe Vegas, a new, rebranded roster with serious potential.
Gentle Mates unveiled its new roster just days ago, revealing the squad that will carry the hopes of the French organization through the 2026 CDL season. If Kaysan’s tournament is anything to go by, those hopes are high.
The clips emerging from the tournament, which was an online event, were white-hot, showcasing a blistering Gentle Mates side that leaned heavily into the fast-flowing nature of Black Ops 7, which launched last month to a mixed reception at best.
Gentle Mates is going all in with this Call of Duty League roster through the 2026 season. Last year was a poor showing for the organization, which only just surfaced in the COD space after acquiring the LAG spot and rebranding for the impending season.
The new roster signing, a jersey refresh, and promoting some new sponsorships, like a clean Scuf controller variety, are all indications of Gentle Mates’ investment in Call of Duty.
Did you check out Kaysan’s $50k tournament? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server what you thought about the event.
For more Insider Gaming esports, check out the news that Team Liquid Brazil won the VALORANT Game Changers Championship
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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