French esports organisation Gentle Mates has relocated its Call of Duty League (CDL) franchise from Los Angeles, California, to Paris, France, for the 2026 season.
Alongside the relocation, the franchise unveiled its all-American roster, including 2022 world champion Dylan ‘Envoy‘ Hannon.
Unveiled as part of Gentle Mates’ keynote broadcast on November 26th, 2025, the roster of Envoy, Daniel ‘Ghosty‘ Rothe, Travis ‘Neptune‘ McCloud, and Daunte ‘Sib‘ Gray will compete under the Paris Gentle Mates banner for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 season.
The arrival of Paris Gentle Mates marks a new chapter for the Call of Duty League. The Black Ops 7 season will be the first time the franchise league won’t feature any of the original team names that debuted in 2020.
Although the Paris Gentle Mates name didn’t feature in the Monster Energy Launch Invitational, the team has already impressed before the regular season begins on December 5th. Competing under the Still Orgless name, the team finished the pre-season tournament in second place, narrowly losing to OpTic Texas in the Grand Final.
In addition to unveiling its new location and roster, Gentle Mates revealed that it will host the fourth Major of the season in the French capital. Taking place from June 25th to 28th, all 12 franchises will compete for a share of a $365,000 (~£276-137) prize pool.
Gentle Mates In 2025
Under its previous moniker, the franchise struggled to establish itself among the top teams during the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season. A top-eight placement at Major 4 in May was its highest result, with the franchise ending the season in 11th with five wins and 26 defeats to its name.
Armed with a roster with a wealth of experience and tournament victories, Paris Gentle Mates has already positioned itself as one of the early frontrunners and looks to put a turbulent Black Ops 6 season in the rear view with a solid showing in Black Ops 7.
