Passion UA secured an important 2:0 victory over Gentle Mates in the upper-bracket quarterfinal of StarSeries Fall 2025. For the Ukrainian roster, this was not only a step forward in the tournament but also proof of their ambition to return to the top after difficult months. Gentle Mates, meanwhile, are now left with only the lower bracket.
STAR SERIES FALL 2025
StarSeries returned to the LAN format in the fall of 2025, bringing together 24 teams from Europe and the CIS. The tournament is held in Kyiv and serves as an important opportunity for young teams to prove themselves against more experienced opponents. The prize pool is $250,000, and the winner also receives a slot at one of the upcoming ESL top-tier events.
ROAD TO THE MATCH
For Passion UA, this game was a test after a series of failures in previous tournaments. The roster had dropped to 38th place in the world ranking but maintained ambitions to regain stability. Recent defeats against SAW, GamerLegion, and TYLOO only highlighted the importance of this quarterfinal.
Gentle Mates, on the other hand, came in with better momentum: wins over Rebels and Rhyno YNG gave them confidence, but losses to ENCE and Monte exposed vulnerabilities in their lineup. The match against Passion UA was set to be a litmus test for the Spanish team.
MATCH TIMELINE
- Inferno (Gentle Mates pick) — 13:4 for Passion UA
Passion UA started confidently, winning the pistol round and quickly building their lead. hallzerk and nicx completely controlled the map: their aggressive play on mid and consistency in clutches left Gentle Mates with no chances. The map ended in a crushing 13:4 victory.
- Train (Passion UA pick) — 13:10 for Passion UA
The second map was much closer. Gentle Mates managed to put up a fight thanks to strong play from MartinezSa and dav1g. However, in decisive moments hallzerk once again stepped up, supported by Grim’s solid plays. The key moment came at 11:10, when Passion UA broke their opponent’s economy and closed out the map.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Håkon “hallzerk” Fjærli was the main hero of this clash. His aggressive yet measured play gave the Ukrainian squad the decisive advantage.
- K-D: 41–16
- ADR: 103.4
- Rating 3.0: 1.56
- KAST: 85%
TEAM PERFORMANCES
Passion UA showed the teamwork that they had been lacking in recent times. hallzerk was the undeniable leader and driving force behind the victory, but nicx’s steady support and Grim’s key moments on Train were equally important. JT managed the team well, while Kvemm once again proved he can reliably hold his position.
Gentle Mates looked lost. MartinezSa tried to carry but lacked consistent support from teammates. alex and mopoz failed to find their rhythm, while sausol and dav1g collapsed in crucial situations. The team did not look prepared for their opponent’s aggressive tempo.
WHAT’S NEXT
For Passion UA, this victory means advancing to the upper-bracket semifinal, where a tougher opponent awaits. If hallzerk maintains this form, the Ukrainian squad has every chance to aim for the final.
For Gentle Mates, the loss sends them to the lower bracket, just one step away from elimination. They now need to rethink their game and find a way to stabilize their teamwork, as the next defeat will be their last in the tournament.
