According to RFT.GG sources and as announced a few minutes ago by SheepEsports, the Esport Foundation has released the list of 40 clubs selected for the 2026 edition of its Club Partner Program, the competition's financial support program. While Team Vitality unsurprisingly appears among the eight directly invited clubs and Gentle Mates among the organizations selected through the open application process, one notable absence stands out: Karmine Corp, which had been part of the program since its very first edition in 2024. RFT breaks down the reasons behind this selection.
Vitality, eyeing the throne
To understand Vitality's selection, one only needs to look at the organization's trajectory over the past two years. Finishing third in the 2025 Club Championship, Fabien "Neo" Devide's organization has built a multi-game empire that makes it one of the most widely represented clubs across EWC titles worldwide.
In 2026, the list of games in which Vitality competes is dizzying: Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, League of Legends, Rocket League, EA FC, Fortnite, Tekken, Teamfight Tactics, Honor of Kings, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Free Fire, Fatal Fury, PUBG Mobile, Chess, Age of Empires II, Trackmania, Sim Racing, and since February 2026, three new divisions PUBG, Warzone, and CrossFire. That's 21 games in total, the vast majority of which are part of the EWC 2026 program and its 24 competitive titles.
By multiplying competitive entry points, Vitality maximizes its potential in the Club Championship, whose prize pool peaks this year at $30 million for the top 24 clubs. The bees' goal: to aim for the Club Champion crown that Team Falcons has defended two years running.
Gentle Mates, the rising force
Gentle Mates' inclusion in the 2026 program comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed the growth of the organization co-founded by Squeezie, Gotaga, and Brawks. Already part of the Club Partner Program in 2025, the Mates have demonstrated a capacity for expansion and community engagement that checks all of the EWCF's priority boxes.
On the game side, M8 now covers a significant spectrum: Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty, Rocket League, Fortnite, and Teamfight Tactics. With the addition of the new Valorant Game Changers team launched in January 2026, M8 will be present in at least seven or eight titles capable of earning EWC points.
Early-year results are encouraging for the French club. A victory at the CDL Stage 1 Major 2026 in Call of Duty, a second-place finish at VCT EMEA Kickoff behind BBL Esports, and a blazing start to the Rocket League season with the title at the Boston Major.
L'année à perte on dirait