Gentle Mates continue their run in the lower bracket of StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025. The Spanish roster defeated 9INE 2:0 and knocked the Polish-European squad out of the tournament. For Gentle Mates, this victory was a breath of fresh air after a series of poor performances, while for 9INE the run ended prematurely.
STARLADDER STARSERIES FALL 2025
StarLadder StarSeries is a prestigious LAN tournament that gathered strong teams from around the world. Playoffs are played in a BO3 format, while the final will be BO5. For Gentle Mates, this is a chance to solidify their world ranking and prove that they can compete with the top 30. For 9INE, the tournament could have been an opportunity to bounce back after inconsistent results, but this time they ended their journey far too early.
ROAD TO THE MATCH
Gentle Mates entered the series in shaky form: losses to ENCE, Monte, and Passion UA left many questions about the roster’s stability. However, victories over Rhyno and Rebels kept their fighting spirit alive.
9INE had also been inconsistent recently — the team lost to NAVI and ENCE but managed to defeat Sangal and Johnny Speeds. A close battle was expected, but Gentle Mates delivered a more cohesive performance.
MATCH TIMELINE
- Ancient (9INE pick) — 13:6 for Gentle Mates
9INE chose Ancient but failed to put up a fight. MartinezSa and mopoz repeatedly broke through their defense, and the second half ended in a clean sweep (7:0).
- Nuke (Gentle Mates pick) — 13:11 for Gentle Mates
On their own pick, the Spaniards allowed their opponent to stay close in the score, but thanks to alex and MartinezSa, they closed the map in the decisive rounds.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Antonio “MartinezSa” Martinez was the key player of the match. His consistent performance gave the team the edge on both maps.
- K-D: 38–22 (+16)
- ADR: 75.9
- Rating 3.0: 1.40
Key moments: domination on Ancient, confident entries on Nuke.
TEAM PERFORMANCES
Gentle Mates displayed strong team balance. MartinezSa was the undisputed leader, alex and mopoz added stability, while dav1g provided support in crucial moments. Only sausol underperformed statistically, but his teammates covered for the gap.
9INE looked lackluster. Only raalz held his level (1.05 rating), while the rest of the players struggled. kraghen and cej0t were especially disappointing, becoming weak points for the team.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Over the past three months, Gentle Mates and 9INE had an even record (9 wins each), but it was the Spaniards who won the last three head-to-head series (DraculaN Season 1). This match only confirmed that Gentle Mates have gained confidence in duels against 9INE.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Gentle Mates remain in the lower bracket and earn a chance to continue their StarSeries journey. They have already climbed to 26th place in the world ranking and now have the opportunity to break into the top 25. For the team, the tournament is a chance to return to the spotlight and fight for prestigious points and prize money.
9INE are eliminated from the tournament. The squad leaves StarSeries with the feeling of a missed opportunity. Despite an even head-to-head record with Gentle Mates and strong potential, the team failed to prove themselves on LAN. This means a further drop in rankings and the need for serious changes if they want to stay competitive.
