Natus Vincere Natus Vincere Europe Rank #10 sociablEE Volkan Yonal Filu Dawid Czarnecki Shao Andrey Kiprsky Ruxic Uğur Güç hiro Emirhan Kat and Gentle Mates Gentle Mates Europe Rank #9 starxo Patryk Kopczynski bipo Taranvir Singh marteen Martin Pátek GLYPH Conner Garcia Minny Patrik Hušek opened play at VCT EMEA Kickoff 2026 with 2-0 wins to stay alive in the upper round, defeating Karmine Corp Karmine Corp Europe Rank #33 dos9 Zhumagali Dastan LewN Burak Alkan sheydos Bogdan Naumov Avez Hazem Khaled SUYGETSU Dmitry Ilyushin and FUT Esports FUT Esports Europe Rank #19 xeus Doğan Gözgen MrFaliN Furkan Yeğen yetujey Eray Budak KROSTALY Okan Alaçam baha Baha Gözmen AtaKaptan Ata Tan , respectively.

ANGE1 gets first win of coaching career

Both NAVI and KC underwent big changes in the offseason. Perhaps the most notable move between the two teams was former NAVI in-game leader ANGE1 retiring and then returning as the team's head coach. On the other end of the stage, Karmine Corp's international rebuild saw it retain just two players and pick up dos9 , LewN , and sheydos .

The series opened up on NAVI's pick of Split, and it provided plenty of contrasts from agent select alone. While both teams went for Viper and Skye on the map, the similarities ended there. NAVI rounded out its lineup with Omen, Chamber, and Raze, while KC opted for a double-Initiator look with Tejo, Astra, and Waylay.

Almost immediately, NAVI imposed its will on defense. They claimed seven of the first nine rounds on the map that was defender-sided on this occasion, with hiro claiming 15 KC lives by halftime, up 7-5. NAVI looked to make quick work of Karmine in the second half by winning another pistol round, but the team appeared to falter on match point. Once NAVI went up 12-7, four straight Karmine Corp rounds threatened to flip the map on its head, but a slow-roll 4v5 round was navigated well by in-game leader Shao , who put the finishing touches on the map with a 1v2.

It's chaos, it's crazy, but at the end, it's Shao.

The series shifted over to Karmine Corp's map pick of Haven, and on the French end of the agent select, there were little to no surprises. The team fielded a double-Duelist comp with LewN on Yoru and Avez on Phoenix, an unorthodox pick for the map but one that's become common for the Egyptian. NAVI, opting to start on defense, was armed with a comp that expects to have some edge on defense with the Viper-Omen double-Controller pairing complemented by Killjoy, Sova, and Yoru.

After winning its third pistol round of the series, NAVI converted on its bonus round as a part of a dominant first half, which ended with the team up 10-2. hiro was once again at the center of the strong defense half, ending the side 13/5 and going a perfect 5-0 in first duels. While Karmine Corp got the ball rolling in the second half with a pistol round win, it only delayed the inevitable. Once Karmine Corp reached seven rounds, NAVI cleaned up house to close the map 13-7.

hiro was far and away the highlight of NAVI, tallying a match-high 41 kills, while Ruxic had 37 of his own. In the losing effort, SUYGETSU 's 36 kills led the way for KC. NAVI will move on to play Team Heretics Team Heretics Europe Rank #3 Wo0t Mert Alkan RieNs Enes Ecirli benjyfishy Benjamin David Fish ComeBack Berkcan Şentürk Boo Ričardas Lukaševičius , while KC slips to the middle bracket to take on the losing team between Team Vitality Team Vitality Europe Rank #4 Jamppi Elias Olkkonen PROFEK Dawid Święć Derke Nikita Sirmitev Chronicle Timofey Khromov Sayonara Ștefan Mîtcu and ULF Esports ULF Esports Europe Rank #8 audaz Soner Ekiz d3mur Demir Boğa sturNN Eren Oduncular nekky Anıl Dağdeviren Favian Enes Yiğiter .

Gentle Mates prevail, sweep new-look FUT

In another match of new faces, a new-look Gentle Mates downed a new-look FUT Esports. After being relegated and then being reinstated as a partnership team, Gentle Mates wrapped up a mass rebuild, returning just one player. Led by Minny , the only player remaining from the 2024 roster, a well-rounded Gentle Mates performance mitigated a standout performance from xeus . The Turkish Duelist, entering his sophomore season in VCT, has big shoes to fill. He, alongside KROSTALY and baha , joined as the team transitioned away from its iconic, longtime roster, which was headlined by cNed , AtaKaptan , and qRaxs .

The series opened on FUT's pick of Abyss, a map that has invited some unique map picks in recent months. FUT opted for a Sova-Tejo double-Initiator look with Astra as the lone Controller, Waylay as the lone Duelist, and Cypher. Meanwhile, Gentle Mates ran a double-Duelist, double-Controller comp, with Waylay-Yoru, Astra-Brimstone, and Sova.

Armed with an arsenal of post-plant utility, Gentle Mates found it easy to attack in the early stages of the match, snapping up the first four rounds of the series in chaotic fashion. FUT responded with four of its own rounds, but at halftime, it faced a slim 7-5 deficit.

xeus claims the first ace of the EMEA season.

FUT won its attacking pistol round to tie the score up (with a flashy Frenzy ace from MrFaliN), but the gridlock did not last long. With two smokes and plenty of delay utility on its side, Gentle Mates were able to hold positions and allow for the longer rotations to come in, holding the attacking FUT largely at bay. Five straight rounds for the Mates earned match point, which was converted shortly after for a 13-8 win.

Gentle Mates' pick of Split promised some more chaos. Both teams opted for double-Controller, double-Duelist comps with Fade as the lone Initiator on both sides. Another slow start for FUT opened the door for Gentle Mates to start fast, as a pistol round win parlayed into an early 5-1 lead.

Over the course of the map, Gentle Mates appeared to be the more in-form squad, playing well-coordinated Valorant and trading each other's gunfights, while FUT appeared to have some offseason rust still left to be shaken off. The Mates carried an 8-4 halftime lead across the finish line, keeping FUT out of arm's reach to seal their map pick 13-6.

Gentle Mates was led by returner Minny, who is the only player from the 2025 roster to remain on for 2026, and his 37 kills, while FUT's xeus put up 35 in the losing effort. The Mates will move on to play GIANTX GIANTX Europe Rank #5 Cloud Kirill Nehozhin grubinho Grzegorz Ryczko westside Miłosz Duda Flickless Karel Maeckelbergh ara Hanceriuc Eduard-George , the 2025 EMEA Cinderella squad, while FUT slips to the middle bracket to take on a fellow Turkish team, awaiting the loser between BBL Esports BBL Esports Europe Rank #2 Crewen Ali Eren Sargin Lar0k Yusuf Kaan Kanber Loita Utku Kart Rosé Eren Erzan lovers rock Umut Pekdoğan and PCIFIC Esports PCIFIC Esports Europe Rank #53 al0rante Felix Brandl cNed Mehmet Yağız İpek qpert Mateja Mijovic NINJA Patryk Koczyba seven Johann Hernandez .

VCT EMEA Kickoff will continue with the following matches this week: