NAVI and Gentle Mates win VCT EMEA Kickoff 2026 openers

VCT EMEA Kickoff 2026 has commenced with NAVI and Light Mates securing victories over Karmine Corp and FUT Esports on Day 1 of the occasion.

Each groups have superior to the next round of the Higher Bracket, the place the organisations will battle towards Crew Heretics and GIANTX, respectively.

The shedding squads, alternatively, can be persevering with VCT EMEA Kickoff 2026 within the Middle Bracket, beginning January twenty first.

The opening map, Cut up, was NAVI’s choose, and the roster was able to dominate on stage because it led 7-2 within the opening first half. That stated, Karmine Corp received three back-to-back rounds to achieve a decent rating heading into the second half.

Nonetheless, the French workforce was not capable of carry over that momentum, as NAVI claimed 5 of the primary seven rounds to achieve match level. Karmine Corp as soon as once more fought again, however it wasn’t sufficient, with the Ukrainian organisation closing out map one 13-11.

Karmine Corp struggled closely on Haven, because the scoreline as soon as once more began 7-2 in NAVI’s favour. The workforce tried to recuperate within the second half however managed to win solely 5 rounds, permitting NAVI to safe a 13-7 victory and lock down the sequence 2-0.

Uğur ‘Ruxic‘ Güç was the highest-performing participant of the sequence, ending with 1.28 score and a 37/25/13 KDA.

Light Mates was relegated to Challengers after failing to qualify for Champions Paris or the EMEA Stage 2 playoffs. Nonetheless, the organisation shortly returned to VCT for an additional yr, this time as a partnered workforce, following KOI’s removal from the Worldwide League.

Light Mates was the worst-performing workforce in EMEA in 2025, successful simply three sequence throughout your complete season. As such, heading into the 2026 VCT season, its entire roster was revamped, with Patrik ‘Minny‘ Hušek being the one participant retained.

The brand new line-up made its VCT debut towards FUT Esports on Abyss, racing to a 4-0 lead earlier than the opposition levelled the scores with 4 consecutive spherical wins. The French facet regained management and concluded the half with a 7-5 benefit.

The second half belonged solely to Light Mates. Regardless of FUT Esports successful the primary two rounds, Light Mates hit match level with out dropping a single spherical and finally secured the map at a 13-8 scoreline.

Light Mates was much more dominant on its map choose, Cut up, as the primary half concluded at 8-4. FUT Esports was not capable of battle again because it managed to safe simply two rounds within the second half earlier than M8 closed out the map by 13-6 and the sequence by 2-0.

Whereas Light Mates’ IGL Patryk ‘starxo‘ Kopczyński was the highest-rated participant of the match with 1.31 score, FUT’s duelist Doğan ‘xeus‘ Gözgen delivered an amazing efficiency, attaining the best ACS of 240.

Spherical two of the VCT EMEA Kickoff Higher Bracket will see NAVI dealing with Crew Heretics, whereas Light Mates will go up towards GIANTX on January twenty second. All of the matches can be streamed reside on VCT EMEA’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.