From Ascension to Tier 1, the BBL roster claimed their first VCT EMEA 2026: Kickoff title, and IGL Rosé couldn’t be more proud.
Winning after such a close series always feels special, but rising all the way through Premier, Ascension, and Tier 1 takes it to another level. On Feb. 13, BBL Esports made history by defeating Gentle Mates in an exciting VCT EMEA 2026 Kickoff Grand Final. For the BBL in-game leader, Eren "Rosé" Erzan, this is one of the best moments of his life.
They are my family, and I'm really happy to live this experience with them.
The biggest surprises from the VCT EMEA Kickoff
Seeing BBL Esports and Gentle Mates face off in the Upper Bracket final was one of the biggest surprises of the event. But these underdogs didn’t just overcome the “top teams.” They did it with style, delivering one of the most exciting Grand Finals the region has seen. "We worked so hard, and we finally achieved it," the leader stated.
BBL Rosé is kind of the “dad” of the group and takes great pride in this roster and everything they’ve been through to reach this stage. While he struggled in the first two maps, Rosé was fully present in the rest of the series, guiding the team to secure this incredible victory.
As Rosé explained, the team had a serious discussion after the third map. By now, they were fully immersed in the emotional rollercoaster of the best-of-five (Bo5). However, in the fourth map, Gentle Mates secured such a fast victory that BBL barely registered. "It was very fast," he confessed. But in the fifth match, BBL was not the same. They knew they were going to win since Corrode was a comfort pick. "They were not prepared for our Corrode!"
BBL Rosé reflects on the path to victory
While many might assume that the pressure of IGLing is greater in Tier 1, for BBL Rosé, it’s actually more challenging to coordinate a team in Tier 2. Egos tend to be bigger, and players don’t always feel compelled to follow calls or executes, often making unexpected moves.
Many may have doubted their ability to adapt to Tier 1, which is something Rosé understands. However, he feels the team has demonstrated a level of talent few can match. “There aren’t many teams that can do what we did,” he stated. “We proved we are the best team. Gentle Mates knew we were the best.”
What to expect from BBL on the international stage
While we’ve seen a very confident BBL, who stood out, screamed, trash-talked Gentle Mates, and showcased their power, the team plans to be much more humble on the international stage. Even though they were the best in their region, they understand their position and want to prove their value through their gameplay rather than their words.
"We were very toxic against them," he laughed. "Against other teams, used to the international stage and winning those trophies, we will stay humble. We don't need to show our power on social media. We need to do it on the stage."
If BBL Rosé could choose his opponents, he would love to face Paper Rex, T1, or NRG. He’s especially excited about a match against Paper Rex, whose chaotic playstyle mirrors BBL’s, making it, in his view, a very fun game to watch.
This will be the first time BBL Esports competes on an international stage. They earned a direct ticket to the Playoffs as the top seed in the EMEA region. Gentle Mates still has two chances to qualify — either through the Upper or Lower Bracket. In the Upper Bracket, they’ll need to defeat Fnatic to secure their spot.
