Last week, French esports organisation Gentle Mates locked in two partnership deals with flavoured beverage brand Volvic Juicy and credit card service Visa.
The announcements will see Gentle Mates collaborate with both brands on activations throughout 2025.
In particular, the Visa Premier brand will support Gentle Mates’ expansion in the United States. The team has officially entered into the Call of Duty League through the Los Angeles Guerrillas franchise, now named Los Angeles Guerillas M8.
Volvic, on the other hand, will work alongside Gentle Mates to support its community to make it more inclusive and healthier. However, no major details about the partnership have been revealed. Financial numbers on both deals were also not disclosed.
Founded in 2022 by content creators Lucas ‘Squeezie’ Hauchard, Correntin ‘Gotaga’ Houssein and Kevin ‘Brawks’ Georges, Gentle Mates has established itself as a notable team in the French esports scene.
The team currently competes in VCT EMEA as a promoted team and has competitive rosters in other game titles such as League of Legends, Rocket League, Fortnite, Teamfight Tactics and Age of Empires.
Global credit card brand Visa has been a steady presence in esports for quite some time, securing several partnerships in the past including esports organisation SK Gaming in 2017 and tournament organiser FACEIT in 2019. This year, the company teamed up with Argentine esports organisation Leviatán, North American esports team Team Liquid for its VCT Game Changers roster and launched an esports academy project with Natus Vincere (NAVI).
Volvic is also no stranger to the esports scene having been a long-term sponsor of German esports organisation BIG since 2020.
Gentle Mates’ General Director Xavier Oswald commented on the Visa partnership via LinkedIn: “There are sometimes key moments in the life of a company. For Gentle Mates, the arrival of Visa Premier as a major partner of the club is a strong signal!”
