Paris Gentle Mates BO7 Season Preview
Paris Gentle Mates Black Ops 7 Season Preview: Vive la France
The Call of Duty League is back tomorrow, which means the best teams will be facing off in fantastic matchups in week 1. With new franchises, a great competitive game, & new rosters across the League, it is shaping up to be one of the best CDL seasons to date.
Gentle Mates have officially entered the CDL, shedding the Guerrillas branding and moving the franchise to Paris. With the move, the organization brought in a Championship-worthy team, which has played very well in the preseason. In this season preview, we’ll dive into Gentle Mates’s offseason moves, key players to watch, and what are their expectations compared to the competition within the CDL.
📸 Photo by @Paris__M8
Offseason Recap: From LA to Paris
Signings:
+ Dylan "Envoy" Hannon
+ Daniel "Ghosty" Rothe
+ Travis "Neptune" McCloud
+ Daunte "Sib" Gray
+ William "Veohz" Lachance (GM)
+ Mehran "Mayhem" Anjomshoa (Coach)
+ Ashkan "Cheek" Chitsaz (Coach)
Releases:
- Matthew "KiSMET" Tinsley
- Tyler "FeLo" Johnson
- Giancarlos "oJohnny" Carrasco
- Noah "Lunarz" Whillock
- Thomas "Lynz" Gregorio
- Ehsan "DREAL" Javed (Coach)
- Mark "MarkyB" Bryceland (Coach)
Offseason Reactions
Ronnie: "The Gentlemates faced a 'go big or go home' scenario after a disappointing first season in the CDL. Recognizing the need for significant changes, they aimed to assemble a team that could genuinely contend for victories, something their fans rightfully deserved. Their offseason planning began early, with the hiring of Veohz as the head of Call of Duty, who was given the time to develop a comprehensive strategy.
Initially, they had their sights set on acquiring Abezy and JoeDeceives, but when those options became unavailable, they acted quickly to ensure they wouldn't fall behind in the offseason. As the offseason progressed, many were surprised that Neptune didn’t join FaZe or LAT this season, which raised eyebrows for the French franchise. The roster they have assembled now has championship-winning potential, which will surely please the fans."
Easy Mac: “Finally, the move that we have all been waiting for has happened. The Guerrillas' branding is gone, and now the Gentle Mates are truly in the CDL. The branding change brings back a European franchise to the League, something that took far too long. With one of the biggest esports fanbases, it's a pleasure to finally have M8 officially in & hosting a Major in Paris this year.
That wasn’t the only change, as the team was able to sign one of the best teams in the League. While many thought of the individual pieces as castaways or leftovers, that was most definitely not the case. The team is comprised of veterans, but those who are hungry to prove the rest of the League wrong & put Paris back on the map for Championship contention.”
The Paris Gentle Mates roster heading into Black Ops 7:
â—‹ Dylan "Envoy" Hannon
â—‹ Daniel "Ghosty" Rothe
â—‹ Travis "Neptune" McCloud
â—‹ Daunte "Sib" Gray
â—‹ William "Veohz" Lachance (GM)
â—‹ Mehran "Mayhem" Anjomshoa (Coach)
â—‹ Ashkan "Cheek" Chitsaz (Coach)
Season Expectations
Ronnie: “Following their recent victory at the Kaysan 50k Invitational and their impressive run to the finals of the Monster 75k, both fans and players have high hopes for the team to compete for trophies throughout the season. In a conversation with Ghosty earlier this month, it was evident that the team's primary goal is to win the Call of Duty Championship this season, which sets the bar high. Given the talent they have, this ambitious goal is understandable.
I personally expect the team to win at least one major event this season. If they achieve that, I would consider it a successful season, especially when you take into account the struggles that the Gentlemates faced last year."
Season Predictions
Best Placement: 1st
Team MVP: Sib
Final Regular Season Seed: 3rd
Will they qualify for Champs: Yes
Easy Mac: “In the offseason, I would have picked this team to be battling with FaZe & KOI for the 3rd slot on the totem pole. Having watched them for the first two weeks of Black Ops 7, I have them firmly in the 2nd position and truly believe that they can win tournaments this year.
Is it just a hot start? Maybe, but I believe in the talent on the team & think that they can compete every series against the best teams. I’d expect them to win one Major tournament this season, while being in the Grand Finals multiple times. In total, I would not be shocked with 2 A or S-Tier tournament wins overall and a Minor victory.”
Season Predictions
Best Placement: 1st
Team MVP: Ghosty
Final Regular Season Seed: 3rd
Will they qualify for Champs: Yes
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📸 Photo by @Spribs_
Players to Watch in Black Ops 6
"Sib is coming off a disappointing season by his standards, especially after achieving personal bests the previous year. His time with Cloud9 was underwhelming in terms of both individual accomplishments and team performance. He will be relieved to leave that chapter behind and start anew with Gentlemates, a roster he believes has the potential to win.
At his best, Sib is one of the top assault rifle players in the world during respawn matches. With the sniper being allowed in Search and Destroy (SND), he has the chance to excel in a game mode that he has struggled with over the years.
If he can maintain his usual damage output, the SMGs in Neptune and Envoy are going to have a very exciting season, making plays off of his performance. Sib being at his best will transform the Gentlemen's roster into a formidable force."
Easy Mac: Dylan "Envoy" Hannon
"I really want to go with Ghosty because I believe in his potential and think he is a top AR in the League, but Envoy will be this team’s X-Factor. He can be a takeover player in big matches, while always doing a large portion of the objective work & routes. But he is definitely prone to poor maps, something that will have to become rarer if this team is consistently playing deep into tournaments.
If Envoy can hit his peaks, he’ll be the best player on the team in both Overload & SnD. The team will certainly need his playmaking in those modes to counter the heavy slaying that teams like OpTic or Thieves have. Watch for him to make key plays on the path to Grand Finals this year.”
Stage 1 Matches
Qualifier Match 1: December 6th vs Vancouver Surge
Qualifier Match 2: December 7th vs FaZe Vegas
Qualifier Match 3: December 13th vs LA Thieves
Qualifier Match 4: January 10th vs Cloud9 New York
Qualifier Match 5: January 16th vs Riyadh Falcons
Qualifier Match 6: January 23rd vs Toronto KOI
Qualifier Match 7: January 25th vs Miami Heretics