A new veteran is joining Mandatory. Following in the footsteps of Damien “HyP” Souville and Terence “SoOn” Tarlier in the previous seasons, the Hammer is set to welcome Enzo "Enzo" Mestari for the upcoming VCL France season, according to Sheep Esports sources. The former Counter-Strike player has indeed reached a verbal agreement with MDR but still has a small chance of getting an opportunity in the VCT EMEA.

Enzo is coming off a challenging year with Team Liquid in the regional elite. From the start of the season, little went right, with a 7th-place finish at the Kickoff and a defending champion team that couldn’t regain its footing—ending in 5th place in Stage 1 and 8th in Stage 2. Enzo’s in-game-leading never worked with his coach Emil “eMIL” Sandgren who eventually decided to reassign Enzo’s IGL role for Split 2. He has also been the 2nd best Liquid’s player during this Split 2 according to VLR.GG, with a rating of 1.01. Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin —TL's new IGL— was the highest-rated player by only 0.01 more with a rating of 1.02. Both players had a good synergy in Team Liquid.

Furthermore, the 28-year-old had previously proved his worth as an IGL with Apeks. Under the guidance of Head Coach Dimitar “Itopata” Staev, the alchemy was perfect and he led the organization to two VCL Northern Europe titles in 2023, establishing the team as a clear leader in VALORANT’s Tier 2 EMEA. Arriving at the Ascension tournament as strong favorites, Apeks were ultimately upset in the grand final by Gentle Mates— a team that had arrived perfectly prepared, helped in particular by...Hyp, Mandatory's captain.

Break the curse

The French player logically had the opportunity to return to the regional elite — alongside teammates Georgio “Keiko” Sanassy and James “Mistic” Orfila — after a first stint with Alliance but and Fnatic in 2021/2022. After all, Enzo has already won Europe's biggest competition with the Black and Orange, in 2022. He’s also competed in several global events, including the 2022 Champions, though his best international result remains a 4th-place finish at the Copenhagen Masters that same year.

Mandatory, meanwhile, are still in pursuit of their first VCL title. Adrien “ZeratoR” Nougaret’s team endured three finals defeats between 2023 and 2024, then finished 4th in Split 2 last season. Enzo's experience is an invaluable asset in helping the team break the curse. For Enzo himself, a team like MDR offers an ideal platform to rebuild momentum and potentially return to the highest competitive levels—where, even after a difficult 2024, he still seems to belong.

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub.