The CS esports landscape is no stranger to surprising announcements, but only few have generated as many questions and interest as the (still potential but) upcoming entry of Gentle Mates into Counter Strike 2. The French organization, founded by high profile content creators (Gotaga, Squeezie, Brawks), is known for its successful beginning in the esport industry, particularly in Valorant.
But now, the team seems to have new ambitions, and is now supposedly setting its sights on the Counter-Strike scene by acquiring Iberian Soul, a fully Spanish roster brimming with what the fans love: untapped potential. But could this decision be quite a dangerous entry into the international CS scene?
Gentle Mates enters CS2 esport with a Spanish team
While nothing is official yet, reliable sources like Sheep Esports and Team-aAa report that a verbal agreement has been reached between M8 and the Spanish team Iberian Soul. This project comes after KOI’s withdrawal from the CS2 scene, leaving Iberian Souls without a structure and by doing so, making the timing perfect for a new chapter. Gentle Mates would then be expanding into CS2 with an unconventional move: adopting a Spanish roster rather than building a French-speaking team.
A decision that has been generating controversy online, with a lot of fans being disappointed while others are quite excited by such a bold move. Regardless, Iberian Soul are the chosen ones, and they’re about to be put under the spotlight. Formed in early 2025, the team was founded by renowned players of the CS esports’ scene such as:
In-game leader alex (Alejandro Masanet), a seasoned IGL with international experience, popular and top-tier since his time at Ninjas in Pyjamas. The Gentle Mates management seemed to have fallen for the talented Spanish player. He is indeed a seasoned strategist who switched to IGL from the former Movistar Riders organisation and is now a pillar of Iberian Soul, united and leading this promising roster.
His return has energised the team, leading to success on the regional stage and a gradual rise in the international rankings. Proof is, after modest beginnings with Iberian Soul, the team enjoyed a remarkable rise in 2025: victory at EPIC.LAN 45 in July, climbing from 41st to 35th in the world rankings, and from 27th to 24th in Europe. Alex is definitely a leader that could lead his team to the top!
But other talents are in the Iberian Soul roster, like:
- mopoz (Alejandro Fernández-Quejo Cano), a charismatic entry fragger known for his aggressive gameplay.
- sausol (Pere Solsona Saumell), a vital riffler / support who can easily adapt and go from a technical to dynamic playstyle in seconds.
- dav1g (David Granado Bermudo), who is excellent at creating map pressure, punish over-rotations, and flank with impact.
- MartinezSa (Antonio Martinez Sánchez), an AWPer with a bold playstyle, often pushing the limits of angles with lightning-fast reflexes.
This decision seems to be a great move that will mark the entry of the team into the CS esports vast (and competitive) ecosystem. Furthermore, the Iberian Soul roster already has a strong identity and deep synergy. This could be their one shot at making it big, a natural stopover towards a whole new story!
With players who have previously represented the Spanish powerhouse Movistar Riders, and earned regional titles such as Galaxy Battle 2025, this transition feels less like a creation and more like a rebirth with M8 offering the structure, visibility, and resources to unlock the team’s full potential on the international stage. It’s also worth noting that this partnership comes at a time when the Iberian CS scene needs a new torchbearer, which is a team capable of representing the region at the highest level. Then, Gentle Mates seems to be the perfect fit.
The beginning of something bigger?
For Gentle Mates, acquiring Iberian Soul represents more than a tactical decision, it’s a strategic branding play. By doing so, M8 expands its borders and begins to position itself internationally. What better way to do it than to team up with an existing entity that already has a solid fanbase and lineup ? The move signals ambition and a commitment to building success organically.
It also means that M8 has a strong confidence in Iberian Soul : being the first team to mark a global expansion of such a successful organization isn’t insignificant. If the team turns out to go even beyond the community’s expectations, this could open doors not just in Spain, but across Europe and Latin America, where Spanish-speaking audiences are known to be quite passionate about CS esport.
For now, the team seems to live up to the community’s expectations, as they have just qualified, on the 17th of August, for an A-tier event by winning against FNATIC (2-1 for Iberian Soul) and by doing so, qualifying for the Starladder Budapest. Iberian Souls have never been so close to qualifying for the majors with the VRS point system, and if they manage to do a great performance at Starladder, they could definitely achieve such a goal. Now, the pressure is on the players.
Iberian Soul will need to qualify for A-tier events like ESL Challenger, CCT Finals, and possibly the next PGL Major to justify the faith placed in them. With a 4 win-streak at the time, the team is thriving!
Still, expectations are high, especially with the infrastructure and media spotlight Gentle Mates can offer, not only in France but now internationally. If Iberian Soul evolves to be the competitive monster that M8 wants them to be, that could make this investment a real masterpiece in CS esport!
For now, a question remains: will this Gentle Mates’ gamble turn out to be the gold mine they’re hoping for? In the meantime, all we now have to wait for is an official confirmation from the organization that could indeed be the beginning of something bigger, something the fans have been waiting for!
