After dominating the LFL once again in 2025, Karmine Corp Blue faced an offseason unlike any before. Typically losing stars to LEC squads or top ERLs, the team rebuilt with four new starters while eyeing LEC Versus in the Winter Split—where EMEA Masters Summer champs KCB, plus Winter/Spring winners Los Ratones, will battle Europe's top 10 teams.

Already deprived of its head coach Vasilis "TheRock" Voltis who did not accompany the team during EMEA Masters Summer, as he was very early locked by Natus Vincere in LEC to help them build their first LEC roster, it is his assistant coach Ianis "Blidzy" Paul who handled the interim and who is logically promoted to take this position. He will be assisted by Benjamin “Fara” Stoffel, who already helped Blidzy during this period and coached for GameWard during the past three years.

KC Blue Stars, training center

Since 2025, Karmine Corp run three tiers, like top LCK orgs: LEC, LFL, and LFL Division 2 via the under-19 Karmine Corp Blue Stars developmental squad open to all. It produced two promotions debuting for KCB. Xu "Tao" Hongtao Alessandro was the first player chosen for the roster, and will replace Volodymyr “Maynter” Sorokin on the toplane. No other toplaner was considered by the Blue Wall to replace him, although many toplaners contacted the organization.

He is one of the KC fans' favorites due to his high carry potential. He is promoted alongside Costin “Hazel” Pestrițu who, at only 18 years old, will play in LFL and continue to study. Indeed, the young Romanian ADC is not yet fully invested in esports and is living his final year in school. He, too, was chosen well before the offseason started.

Varied mid and support profiles

One of the first players locked by the club was Kamil “Kamiloo” Haudegond. Coming off a complicated year with Team Heretics in LEC, he drops to LFL for the first time in his career at 20 years old, after making headlines a year ago by jumping directly from LFL Div2 to LEC. Kamiloo had not negotiated an LEC clause with KCB, and his only other option on the market was Team BDS, provided they managed to sell Ilias "nuc" Bizriken to another team, in a scenario that was very unlikely.

Olivier "Prime" Payet completes the botlane alongside Hazel and is the most experienced player in the team. Although he had the choice to stay with Ici Japon Corp, the 25-year-old support preferred to join KCB, which had Erwin “Alaric” Cader as a second choice. With years of play in ERL (Superliga, Prime League, LFL) including reaching an EMEA Masters final in Spring 2025, he is by far the most experienced player in the lineup, and will make his first steps in LEC during LEC Versus.

The Yukino case

If there is one move that made noise, it is Johnny "Yukino" Dang's decision to stay with KCB. Arrived from NACL last Spring, the jungler rose to power in a fulminating way as only this club knows how to do so well in France. Having become indisputably the best at his position in the league or even in Europe at the ERL level, he attracted many looks during this offseason, including that of FlyQuest.

The North American reigning champion lost its jewel Kacper "Inspired" Słoma and was looking to rebuild at low cost, thinking it could bring Yukino to its continent and offer him to play for the first time in a tier-1 league under their colors. However, despite KC and FLY having found an agreement, it is the player himself who expressed his desire to stay with KC, believing that the decision fits him better in the long term. The player is also expected to extend his contract with the team as a consequence. FlyQuest pushed for a three-year deal, while Yukino preferred a two-year agreement. However, our sources cannot confirm whether this ultimately broke negotiations.

According to Kamel "Kameto" Kebir, Karmine Corp's founder, on his Twitch channel, the final choice rested entirely with the player, and Yukino has often expressed how comfortable he feels within the team environment. A feeling he had already shared in June 2025 in an interview with Sheep Esports, expressing that he preferred playing in Europe rather than returning to NA, describing the environment as less professional.

Karmine Corp Blue reported 2026 roster:

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub andOffseason Live Tracker.