Multiple sources suggest that French esports organization Gentle Mates are attempting to acquire the Call of Duty League (CDL) spot currently held by the LA Guerrillas. With intentions to disrupt LA Thieves’ potential “god squad” deal.
On September 18, It was reported that LA Thieves were working on signing Toronto Ultra’s Thomas ‘Scrappy’ Ernst and Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon. Along with Cloud9 New York’s Paco ‘HyDra’ Rusiewiez and coach Troy ‘Sender’ Michaels. If successful, this lineup, combined with current Thieves player Daniel ‘Ghosty’ Rothe, would position them as one of the strongest teams in the league and serious title contenders.
Gentle Mates
However, Gentle Mates are looking to secure the LA Guerrillas’ spot and interfere with the Thieves’ roster ambitions. Sources indicate that Gentle Mates have already approached Scrappy and HyDra, slowing down the Thieves’ negotiations as all involved parties seek the best outcomes.
Signing HyDra would be a significant move for Gentle Mates. Scrappy reportedly wants to keep Envoy by his side, although Envoy may decide to stay with Toronto.
At the time of writing, negotiations are expected to conclude within the next week as teams finalize their rosters for the upcoming season. It’s still unclear who would complete the Gentle Mates roster, but even with just Scrappy and HyDra, they would be in a strong position to attract top talent and immediately compete at a high level.
Although it has yet to be confirmed that Gentle Mates will secure the LA Guerrillas’ spot, they appear confident about joining the CDL. Other organizations, including French team Karmine Corp, have also shown interest in acquiring CDL slots, which could result in multiple organizational changes soon.
Gentle Mates recently competed as a Challenger organization in the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia with players Harry, Bance, Denza, and Cobra. Now, they aim to take things further by becoming a serious contender as a partnered league franchise.