Gentle Mates Benches bipo, Signs H1ber for VCT EMEA Stage 2

Gentle Mates is making some mid-season changes. bipo will descend to the bench, while H1ber will join the team. Let’s recap everything to know about the shake-up.

Gentle Mates Benches bipo, Signs H1ber

On August 5, 2026, French esports organization Gentle Mates announced it would shift core VALORANT roster member Taranvir “bipo” Singh to the organization’s bench. In an X.com post, the team clarified that the change would extend “for the rest of the [VCT EMEA] season.” In addition, it thanked the Sentinel main for assisting in the team’s first international tournament.

After the reveal, bipo took to his personal account to provide some clarification. He wrote:

“Hey! Unfortunately my year has come to an end earlier than I would’ve liked as I have been benched.

I don’t think I managed to show what I would’ve liked individually but I’m still very happy I got to play and experience two international stages this year.

I will keep grinding and giving my best for next year.

Thank you for the constant support from all the fans. It was incredible to see the support you guys showed me through all the ups and downs this year. I won’t forget it, merci beaucoup !

Gentle Mates Head of VALORANT Sinan Koyuncu also stated on X.com:

“I want to thank Bipo for everything he has contributed to the team and for all the hard work he has put in throughout the year. We have experienced the highs and lows together, and through it all, he never lost his dedication. I wish him nothing but the best for the future, and I truly believe he belongs at this level in the right environment.”

The Setup Will Stay for The Rest of VCT EMEA

The VALORANT esports community was wondering who would take bipo’s place. Gentle Mates soon confirmed the roster’s replacement: Joona “H1ber” Parviainen would join its main lineup.

H1ber has participated in the VCT EMEA circuit since 2021, shortly after VALORANT’s launch in 2020. He has previous experience on Movistar KOI, Team Vitality, and Fnatic. He played in VALORANT Masters Reykjavik 2022 under the Fnatic banner.

H1ber wrote about the move, “So incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Will give my everything to this team, let’s freakin go!”

What Does This Mean for Gentle Mates?

bipo’s Gentle Mates demotion occurs in the midst of VCT Americas Stage 2. The tournament’s top two finalists will progress to VALORANT Champions 2026, the most important tournament in VALORANT’s entire competitive year.

At the time of writing, Gentle Mates has won two Group Stage games against PCIFIC ESPORTS and Natus Vincere (NaVi). However, it has lost out to BBL Esports, FUT Esports, and Team Vitality. Though bipo held his own against PCIFIC, he trailed behind in performance against FUT (17/35 overall). Vitality and BBL showed less severe gaps, but bipo still neared the bottom of the team’s leaderboard.

Gentle Mates ended the Group Stage with a respectable 2:3 scoreline. However, their standing means they must battle through a high seed in the Play-Ins, rather than progressing directly to the Playoffs. This makes it much harder for the team to reach Champions, so they’ll have to pull out all the stops.

Why Did Gentle Mates Sign H1ber?

Head of VALORANT Koyuncu elaborated on this, “Missing out on direct qualification for the playoffs sucks, but we are still in a good position. To keep our belief high and give ourselves the best possible chance of reaching Champs, we felt that we needed some fresh blood and an improvement in our communication structure. We believe that is what H1ber will bring to the team.”

New Team Comps?

It isn’t new for teams to make roster shakeups this deep into the season. Teams usually need to keep three of the core roster members they registered with to remain qualified, but there is still room to shift things around.

Interestingly, bipo is a Sentinel main, with some Controller experience. H1ber has mainly played initiators in his recent matchups. He does play some Chamber and Vyse, a very different setup from bipo’s Cypher and Viper expertise. H1ber has also been spotted on Duelist every so often, providing a much wider Agent pool that could lead to some fascinating comps and dynamics.

Stay tuned for more VALORANT esports and in-game news. Also, check out our VCT Stage 2 guide for info on how to watch the season.