Alessandro "Tao" Hong Tao just hitched his wagon to a star. The Italian toplaner has reached a verbal agreement with Karmine Corp Blue Stars, according to sources close to Sheep Esports on Friday. In the final stages of the process, he was preferred over Anthony "Archfiend" Petkov from NLC Division 2, who was also considered for the position. Both have participated in the tryouts of the team among a pool of several toplaners, including the likes of Ilias "C7" Mebarki.
Similarly to the midlaner of KCBS, Tao holds no professional experience yet. While he did play for a team named "
The Gulls Esports" in Italian LANs during the past two months, Esports is a whole new world for the 18-year-old Toplaner.
Despite his inexperience, Tao has already demonstrated individual skill, reaching a peak of 1234 LP in Solo Queue. His champion pool features high-impact carries like Aatrox, Renekton, and Jayce, complemented by versatile tanky bruisers such as K’Sante
3rd player of the KCBS project
The
KC Blue Stars project is an initiative by
Karmine Corp aimed at training young talent in
League of Legends. Designed for players under 19, this academy provides a competitive environment to identify and develop the stars of tomorrow. First introduced during KCX3, their main goal is to build a strong pipeline of promising players. By
joining the LFL Division 2 in 2025, KC Blue Stars marks a symbolic return to Karmine Corp's roots, as the club initially began in Division 2 before becoming a major force in the French scene and later in Europe.
This project allows Karmine Corp to compete across three levels: the LEC, LFL, and Division 2. The launch aligns with recent regulatory changes: after previously banning academy teams from Division 2, Webedia has reversed this decision, allowing them again to transform the league into a true development platform. KC Blue Stars will leverage this new landscape to compete with other academies and foster player growth.
This being said, KCBS has locked its 3rd player, after midlaner
Mathis “MathisV” Vannieuwenuyse and ADC
Costin “Hazel” Pestrițu have reportedly find a verbal agreement with the team already.
Karmine Corp Blue Stars' 2025 roster:
Top: Alessandro "Tao" Hong Tao
Jungle: ?
Mid: Mathis “MathisV” Vannieuwenhuyse
ADC: Costin “Hazel” Pestrițu
Support: ?
For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub Header Image Credit : Gojo Satoru manga icon by satoruuus, the picture Tao uses on Discord/Twitter
