Finnish player H1ber joins Gentle Mates ahead of VCT EMEA Play‑Ins

Joona “H1ber” Parviainen, a 28‑year‑old Finnish Valorant player, will join the French esports organisation Gentle Mates for the VCT EMEA Stage 2 Play‑Ins. The move comes after Gentle Mates posted a weak start to Stage 2, finishing fourth in their group and seeking to revamp a roster that has become overly dependent on the performances of Martin “Marteen” Pátek.

The team previously replaced head coach Pavle “pakko” Kostić with assistant Jiri “KUNDIKUNDI” Honkala after Stage 1. H1ber, who previously played for WIP Esports in the French Challenger league and briefly substituted for Derke on Fnatic during the 2022 Masters Reykjavík, is expected to add Sentinel and Flex flexibility. His debut is scheduled for Sunday against the winner of the Fnatic‑Enterprise Esports match, with Gentle Mates hoping the change will boost their chances of qualifying for the Valorant Champions.