Rumor: zen, Vatira and Atow to Gentle Mates | Inside the transfer dispute

zen, Vatira and Atow have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Gentle Mates, according to Sheep Esports. A move would still require agreement with Vitality and Karmine Corp. Negotiations spilled into a public dispute between Kameto and Gotaga before a phone call aimed at easing tensions.

The state of the negotiations as of 8 October 2026.

A trio that would reshape all three clubs

The sporting appeal has a clear starting point. zen and Atow won the RLCS 2v2 World Championship on 19 September, competing as No Miss Just Fake. In 3v3, Atow already plays alongside Vatira for Karmine Corp: the pair won the Paris Major with the organization, together with juicy.

Combining the three would extend a successful 2v2 partnership while retaining the established Karmine Corp duo. Their fit within one 3v3 system would still need to be developed, but those existing partnerships explain the interest that preceded the owners’ public statements.

On 28 September, Sheep reported talks with all three French organizations. The report highlighted zen’s longstanding relationship with Vitality and Vatira’s with Karmine Corp. A departure would involve two players around whom their clubs have built much of their Rocket League identity.

Gentle Mates would also be replacing an established, successful roster: nass, Oski and Archie won this season’s Boston Major. Signing the trio would therefore mean rebuilding for each of the three contenders.

Rocket Baguette @RocketBaguette🚨✍️ LA SUPERTEAM FRANCOPHONE DEVRAIT BIEN AVOIR LIEU ! Selon les sources, ZEN 🇫🇷, VATIRA 🇫🇷 & ATOW 🇧🇪 semblent avoir trouvé un accord pour la prochaine saison #RLCS avec GENTLE MATES 🇫🇷. #M8WIN Les négociations avec VITALITY et KCORP restent encore en cours.Oct 4, 2026View on X

Buyouts stand in the way of an immediate move

Sheep’s 3 October report said the contracts were expected to run until January. Vitality and Karmine Corp had reportedly agreed buyout amounts in advance if either signed the trio. The outlet corrected its story on this point: that arrangement did not involve reducing the buyouts.

Gotaga put the combined asking price for the three players at close to €1 million, as reported by E.SPORT.FR. That figure concerns the compensation sought to release them from their existing commitments; it is not a completed transfer fee.

The competition schedule gives those remaining months particular significance. Rocket League Esports announced that the Club Championship would start in November, with a London LAN in December. Waiting for the contracts to expire would therefore put the trio’s formation after that opening event. For Gentle Mates, securing early releases would determine whether the project could begin at the start of the new circuit.

Conflicting accounts of the salary offers

In the 5 October streams summarized by aAa, Kameto cited monthly offers of €23,000 per player from Karmine Corp and €28,000 from Gentle Mates. Gotaga described a different sequence: Gentle Mates at €21,000, a Karmine Corp counteroffer of €25,000, then Gentle Mates at €27,000.

Kameto also challenged a deadline given to the players. Gotaga said there had been no approach before Worlds and that Gentle Mates had not refused to pay buyouts.

Those statements describe stages of the negotiations from each side’s perspective. They do not establish the final terms or show how much salary alone influenced the players’ decision.

Delayed payments become part of the dispute

Kameto acknowledged delayed payments and said the players would receive what they were owed during the week, according to comments reported by Sheep on 7 October.

Jérôme Coupez, head of the players’ agency Prodigy SEG, challenged the presentation of the situation in a 5 October statement. According to excerpts reproduced by Insider Gaming, several hundred thousand euros remained unpaid at that point, without a concrete settlement plan. He said the money was not simply bonuses and that payment conditions had been central to discussions about extending the players’ contracts.

Payment reliability is therefore one of the considerations cited by the players’ representatives. The club’s promise of payment and the agency’s account need to be read in their chronology: the statements alone do not establish the payment position on 8 October.

Jérôme Coupez @Jerome_CoupezPuisque des informations factuellement erronées ont été partagées en live, quelques faits doivent être rétablis. 1. Les sujets financiers ayant eux-mêmes été abordés publiquement lors de ce live, nous pouvons désormais nous permettre d’y répondre également. À ce jour, ce sontOct 5, 2026View on X

Tensions ease, but the transfers still need agreement

Following the public exchanges, Gotaga said on his 6 October stream that he had spoken with Kameto. He acknowledged mistakes in his communication and apologized. Further discussions were to take place privately between the clubs and the players’ representatives.

On 7 October, former Karmine Corp CEO Arthur Perticoz described the disagreement as an exit negotiation undermined by poor communication. He defended the players’ right to change organizations and argued that a shared approach would have allowed the parties to discuss departure terms behind closed doors.

The reported reconciliation leaves a contractual question to settle. A personal understanding between Kameto and Gotaga does not determine the transfer fees or the date on which the players could join a new team.

Coupez also reported threats against players and their families, saying evidence had been passed to the authorities.

The rest of the transfer market

Other roster talks have continued. On 5 October, Sheep reported a verbal agreement between Vitality, nass, Oski and diaz. The first two would arrive from Gentle Mates, while the Brazilian has left Spacestation Gaming. That roster would combine the Boston-winning duo with a finalist from the latest Worlds. It remains a transfer report attributed to the outlet.

Sheep Esports RL @SheepRLE[SOURCES] After reports surfaced about Team Vitality targeting Nass 🇲🇦, Diaz 🇧🇷, and Oski 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇵🇱, sources tell Sheep that the players have reached a verbal agreement to join the French Organization for the #RLCS Club Championship. @i_Eros_ reporting. @Michelin | Read more here 👇Oct 5, 2026View on X

For Karmine Corp, Sheep reported a Club Championship invitation on 7 October, with the organization still considering its participation. Kameto outlined several options: signing established players, building around young prospects or taking a break. An exit from Rocket League has not been decided.

If the proposed moves go through, Gentle Mates would unite the French-speaking trio, Vitality would rebuild with an international lineup and Karmine Corp would need to define a project without its two franchise players. The outcome now rests on release agreements and signatures as all three organizations prepare for the same competitive deadline.