French esports organisation Gentle Mates has announced its entry into Rocket League through a partnership with Automotive and motorsports brand Alpine.
The partnership will see Alpine become a ‘major partner’ of Gentle Mates’ new team for the 2024 season.
The Alpine brand has long been established in sports cars, but it is also no stranger to esports. The company has run the Alpine Esports Series in Sim Racing for the last three years. Moreover, Alpine also competes in F1 Sim Racing and other competitions with its own Sim Racing esports team.
The automotive company also sponsored the Blast.tv Paris Major in CS:GO, becoming the Official Automotive and Motorsport partner for the final stages of the Major.
Gentle Mates on the other hand was only recently founded in April 2023 by a trio of French influencers with significant fanbases on YouTube and within the local esports space. The organisation has found quick success in VALORANT, becoming the 2023 French VALORANT League Spring and Summer champions alongside winning promotion to the VCT EMEA League.
Gentle Mates has claimed it is dedicated to its French roots and has continued to stick with its commitment to the French esports scene through its expansion into Rocket League. The partnership opens up new doors for both parties as neither company had ever participated in Rocket League before now.
The three CEO’s of Gentle Mates; Lucas ‘Squeezie’ Hauchard, Corentin ‘Gotaga’ Houssein, and Kevin ‘Brawks’ Georges put out a joint statement about the partnership. They said: “We look forward to embarking on this new adventure with Alpine and writing a new chapter in the history of Gentle Mates.
“With Alpine by our side, a French team and company with values of excellence, we aspire to take Gentle Mates to the top, flying the flag for France. It is the dawn of an exceptional collaboration, where unity and passion will propel Gentle Mates to new horizons.”
