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Gentle Mates brings in Kaplan as head coach following his departure from Sentinels

Sofia Guimarães

Sofia Guimarães

· 2 min read
Valorant Valorant News #VCT
Gentle Mates brings in Kaplan as head coach following his departure from Sentinels

Former Sentinels head coach Kaplan is moving to the European region to lead Gentle Mates ahead of Stage 1.

Adam “Kaplan” Kaplan, one of the most prominent coaches in North America and a key figure behind Sentinels’ success, moved on after a disappointing start to 2026 and internal controversies. Kaplan is now heading to the European region for the first time to lead Gentle Mates.

Kaplan joins Gentle Mates

On March 19, Gentle Mates (M8) officially announced their new head coach for the VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1. Kaplan joins the French organization three years after leading Sentinels in North America, where he won the VCT 2024: Americas Kickoff and Masters Madrid in the same year. Kaplan left Sentinels after some internal issues and disagreements, as the CEO revealed in a recent stream.

“Some of my most fun days coaching have been in the last couple weeks,” kaplan wrote on X. “These guys get what it means to be a team, and they know how to have fun while doing it. Stoked to show what we’re capable of, and I’m grateful to everyone at M8 for placing their trust in us.”

Gentle Mates were relegated in 2025 before making a return for the 2026 season. Led by Pavle “pakko” Kostić, the team secured second place at the Kickoff stage and earned their first-ever international qualification for the VCT Masters Santiago. The Serbian coach is now free to explore his options in the market.

VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1

The Gentle Mates roster will be the same for Stage 1, with the biggest change being the addition of Kaplan to the coaching staff.

The French organization is returning to the European stage on April 1 to compete in the VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1. Gentle Mates will play in Group Alpha, which includes Team Liquid, Team Heretics, Natus Vincere, Karmine Corp, and FUT Esports. Therefore, the team faces a highly competitive group as they aim to make a strong return to the European stage.