French esports organisation Gentle Mates has renewed the contract of Fortnite player Vanya ‘Vanyak3k‘ Sakach.
As a result, Vanyak3k will continue representing the organisation during the 2026 Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) season.
Announced on October 15th, 2025, the re-signing of Vanyak3k follows a period of change for Gentle Mates, which has cemented itself as one of Europe’s top Fortnite teams.
On October 14th, the organisation parted ways with six players, including Danila ‘Malibuca‘ Iakovenko, who scored a second-place finish in Europe’s Major 1 Grand Final in February.
In addition to Malibuca, Gentle Mates’ Fortnite coach, Florian ‘Ketzon’ Besson, announced his retirement from the esport after supporting the organisation’s players since it entered the battle royale title in 2023.
Throughout 2025, Vanyak3k has cemented his place as one of Europe’s top Fortnite talents thanks to frequent appearances in Major Grand Finals and strong placements on the international stage.
At the FNCS 2025 Global Championship, the Ukrainian finished second, taking home $100,000 (~£74,399) alongside Team HavoK player Wilmer ‘Pixie‘ Juriander and Gentle Mates teammate Marius ‘MariusCOW‘ Wendt.
Gentle Mates In 2025
Since launching in 2023, Gentle Mates has continued to establish itself as one of the biggest esports organisations in France.
In 2024, it entered the Call of Duty League, taking over the Los Angeles franchise slot. The 2026 season will be the first full year where Gentle Mates is the sole operator, and is seemingly teasing a rebrand and a potential relocation.
In August 2025, the organisation expanded into Counter-Strike 2 esports. Following a last-minute invitation to ESL Pro League Season 22, the team almost secured qualification for November’s StarLadder Budapest Major.
Securing Vanyak3k to its Fortnite division for another season is a statement of intent for an organisation that’s closing in on achieving success across several esports titles.
