No new exploits for Gentle Mates. The French team could not do better than a top 6 at the Birmingham Major, the second of the four major esports tournaments of the year on the shooting simulation game Call of Duty. The team failed to repeat their success from the Dallas Major in February, which they won for the first time in their history. Gentle Mates suffered defeat in two stages. The club first fell to FaZe Vegas, the tournament winners. And then suffered a cruel elimination against Toronto KOI, who finished third in the competition.
The result for Gentle Mates is not surprising. Since their victory at the Dallas Major, the team has not regained their usual edge. The qualifications for the Birmingham Major already showed a decline. The team finished in tenth place, the last qualifying spot for the Major. Despite a show of pride against Carolina Royal Ravens and Miami Heretics, Gentle Mates were logically outclassed.
The next global opportunity for the team is the Atlanta Major, which will take place from May 15 to 17. However, the most important event remains the fourth and final Major of the year in Paris La Défense Arena from June 25 to 28. The players will be at home, with a crowd never seen before in the Call of Duty esports scene. This Major will be the ultimate stage before the World Championships in Las Vegas in July.
Gentle Mates misses out on qualifying for the Esports World Cup on Call of Duty: Warzone
In Birmingham, Gentle Mates were competing on two fronts. One on Call of Duty, but also on Warzone, the Battle Royale mode of the shooting simulation. Another competition, the Warzone Resurgence Series, but with the same outcome. The team, led by a French trio, finished in a disappointing ninth place.
The tournament stakes were high. For the top five, there was a spot for the Esports World Cup (EWC), a major event in the global esports scene. As a small consolation, Ravens Esports, represented by the three French players “Niasen”, “Iheedz” and “KingChawk”, secured their ticket to the EWC by grabbing the fourth place in the tournament.
