They are not only the loudest, but now also the best: the French team Karmine Corp has won the LEC Winter Split. A triumph that was announced well in advance and is the result of continuous development.
“We are here to win,” said managing director Arthur Perticoz in an interview with eSport in December 2023. At that time, Karmine Corp (KCorp) was about to make its debut in the LEC – the European premier league in League of Legends (LoL). The team’s own ambition was enormous, as was the pressure.
At first, KCorp seemed unable to keep up with the competition: the first LEC split was a lesson in defeat – the team finished in tenth and thus last place. Only in terms of spectator numbers were the French always at the top – thanks to the loud and frenetic fan base cultivated by the founders.
But a steep development could also be seen on the lanes in the following months: In the Summer Split 2024, KCorp made it into the playoffs and went on to reach the Lower Bracket semi-finals. Half a year later, the organization secured the European crown.
Detour through the Loser Bracket
As the runner-up in the regular season, KCorp was considered a favorite even before the playoffs – and more than lived up to this role. With two straight 2-0 victories against Team Vitality and KOI, the team of head coach Rehareha Ramanana advanced to the Upper Bracket final against G2 Esports.
However, they then lost 1:3, which is why KCorp had to take the detour via the lower bracket final. In the duel with Fnatic, the top team of the regular season, the French triumphed by a narrow margin of 3:2, thus earning themselves the chance for revenge against G2.
Dominant revenge against G2
The match winner of the Grand Final in the Berlin Riot Games Arena was the Greek Vladimiros Kourtidis, who dominated the midlane from the start. The G2 team, led by Rasmus ‘Caps’ Winther, never really found its game – KCorp won confidently 3:0.
The triumph in the LEC comes with prize money of €40,000 and qualification for the new First Stand Tournament. The cross-regional competition begins on March 10, with the final taking place on March 16. The next test for the European champions.
“This is just the beginning,” announced the team after their greatest success to date in the organization on X. This is in line with the picture that KCorp CEO Perticoz eSport drew almost 15 months ago: ‘We want to become the best team in the world at some point. If we’re not capable of becoming the best, why should we even compete?’
