Gentle Mates Expands into Counter-Strike 2 with Iberian Soul Lineup

Gentle Mates Expands into Counter-Strike 2 with Iberian Soul Lineup

Overview
French esports organization Gentle Mates, founded in April 2023 by streamers and former pros Gotaga, Brawks, and Squeezie, has officially entered the Counter‑Strike 2 (CS2) scene by signing the org‑less all-Spanish roster formerly competing under the name Iberian Soul.

Roster & Staff

The newly unveiled roster and coaching staff include:

Players:

Alejandro “mopoz” Fernández‑Quejo

David “dav1g” Granado

Pere “sausol” Solsona

Alejandro “alex” Masanet

Antonio “Martinez” Martínez (AWPer)

Coaching Staff:

Eloy “deLonge” Suárez (Head Coach)

Ángel “repk3ys” Navarro (Assistant Coach) 

Team's Background & Achievements

Historic Successes: Since the start of 2025, Iberian Soul had competed in the European Tier‑2 CS2 circuit without organizational backing. They secured victory in multiple tournaments:

Roman Imperium Cup I

EPIC.LAN 45

Exort The Proving Grounds Season 2

Galaxy Battle 2025 — Phase 3

and frequently placed atop Tier‑2 event rankings.

VRS Rankings & StarLadder Qualification:

As of August, they were ranked approximately 29th globally and 20th in Europe in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), positioning them just outside direct qualification for the Budapest Major. However, they successfully qualified for the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025 via the European qualifier, securing a spot at the event in Budapest in mid‑September.

Debut Under Gentle Mates & Statement

The team's debut match for Gentle Mates took place during the ESL Challenger League Season 50 Europe Cup 1, where they recorded a 2-0 victory against Nemiga Gaming in the lower bracket.

Reflecting on his excitement, AWPer Martinez shared on X (formerly Twitter):

“Happiness is the only thing that comes to mind right now, very happy to be able to be part of this great club and back with all my teammates — this is just getting started.” 

Strategic Outlook

This move represents Gentle Mates’ first foray into Counter‑Strike 2. Having already established teams in titles like VALORANT, Rocket League, League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Fortnite, the organization leverages its strong media influence—particularly through founder Squeezie’s channel—and bold branding to boost the profile of its new CS2 venture