According to sources close to Sheep Esports, Xu “Tao” Hongtao Alessandro will be the new toplaner for Karmine Corp Blue in the LFL for 2026, pending visa approval. A young prodigy who was part of the Karmine Corp Blue Stars project in LFL Division 2 this year, he has been promoted and will replace Volodymyr “Maynter” Sorokin in the starting five. He becomes the fifth and final confirmed member of KCB 2026, alongside Kamil “Kamiloo” Haudegond, Olivier "Prime" Payet, Johnny "Yukino" Dang—who declined an offer from FlyQuest to stay with the club—and the other promoted player from KCBS, Costin “Hazel” Pestrițu.

Karmine’s decision to promote Tao was made roughly three months ago, and the team did not speak with any other top-laners during the offseason, despite numerous ERL prospects reaching out to the organisation.

The Karmine Corp Blue Stars project, launched at the end of 2024, aimed to develop young talents under the age of 20 and help them grow in LFL Division 2. Tao and Hazel are the first two players promoted from this program and embody the success of the initiative. They will thus compete in the LEC Winter Split with the club, following the club’s victory at the EMEA Masters Summer Split, and the new LEC format announced by Riot Games.

The rise of a prodigy

Just a year ago, Tao had no professional experience, although he had spent a few months playing for “The Gulls Esports” in Italian LAN events. Today, he comes off a full season in LFL2. As for results, KCBS finished 5th in Winter, 6th in Spring, and last in Summer in an eight-team league largely dominated by IziDream—who recently announced their departure from LoL—and Esprit Shonen, who won the Up and Down tournament and qualified for the 2026 LFL season.

Seen as a young prodigy and appreciated by fans, Tao proved this year that he was one of the best laners in the league alongside players like Mehdi "Potent" Bouchaffra who is also joining the LFL in 2026, showcasing his skills on major carries like Aatrox, Rumble, Renekton, and Jayce, but shining especially on K’Sante. In solo queue, he recently peaked at 1286 LP.

Karmine Corp Blue reported 2026 roster:

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