Gentle Mates’ marteen smashes VALORANT kill record to qualify for Masters Santiago

Czech prodigy Martin “marteen” Pátek has cemented his name in VALORANT history after posting a staggering 126 kills in Gentle Mates‘ epic five-map battle against FNATIC to qualify for Masters Santiago. The 21-year-old duelist’s performance against FNATIC wasn’t just impressive, it was record-shattering. In the space of 24 hours, Marteen obliterated three separate kill records, showcasing a level of mechanical dominance rarely seen in competitive VALORANT.

His rampage began just a day earlier against BBL Esports, where despite falling in a heartbreaking 2-3 loss in the EMEA Kickoff Upper Final, Marteen posted 106 kills, breaking ex-Team Liquid player Keiko’s previous EMEA record of 88. That performance alone would have been the story of the week. But marteen wasn’t done.

Facing elimination against FNATIC, Gentle Mates found themselves down 0-2 before mounting a miraculous reverse sweep. Throughout the grueling five-map series, Marteen was relentless, racking up 126 kills to surpass both ZmjjKK’s previous VCT record of 111 kills (set against Team Heretics at Champions 2024 Seoul) and srN’s 124-kill performance against Team Liquid Brazil in the Game Changers circuit. His stats across the board were insane, with 23 first kills as well as a massive kill differential of +43 and an average ACS of 289 across the five maps.

The Yoru-Operator Meta’s Deadly Weapon

Marteen’s success wasn’t just about individual brilliance — although he was popping off — it was a masterclass in leveraging the current meta. The Czech star has become one of the most feared Yoru players in competitive VALORANT, combining the agent’s dimension-bending abilities with elite Operator skills to devastating effect, as well as winning some rounds that he had no business winning off the back of Yoru’s kit, such as a huge 3k with a Bucky on map 4 to push Bind to overtime and deny FNATIC a possible 3-1 win.

Yoru was one of 2025’s most picked agents and continues to be in 2026. His dimensional drift ultimate provides safe reconnaissance and enables complex site executes, while his teleport mechanics create unpredictable angles that are perfect for aggressive Operator play. The synergy between Yoru and the Operator has become increasingly apparent in professional play. The ability to teleport into off-angles, secure crucial picks, and escape before retaliation has made the combination particularly potent on defense and also a massive danger on attack.

LEGENDARY 👑 pic.twitter.com/T2qPvAzll1

— VALORANT Esports EMEA (@vct_emea) February 14, 2026

From Fortnite to VALORANT Glory

Marteen’s journey to the top of competitive VALORANT has been unconventional, having initially competed in Fortnite before transitioning to Riot’s tactical shooter. His VALORANT career began in 2021 with Czech team eSuba, where he cut his teeth in tier-two competition. After stints with Entropiq (where he departed in October 2022) and GMT Esports (October 2022 – August 2023), Marteen caught his big break with Karmine Corp. From December 2023 to November 2025, he the prominent French organization, including a notable fifth-place finish at VCT Masters Madrid in 2024.

Now with Gentle Mates alongside veterans starxo and Minny, arteen has found the perfect platform to showcase his talent. While his 126-kill heroics ultimately secured Gentle Mates’ qualification for Santiago, it came through the lower bracket after BBL Esports claimed the region’s first seed. Marteen’s record-breaking weekend serves as a statement: he’s not just among EMEA’s elite, he’s rewriting what’s possible in competitive VALORANT.