LoL – First Stand: Karmine Corp, Sunshine After the Storm (2/5)

After just four splits in the LEC, Karmine Corp claims its first trophy by defeating reigning kings G2 Esports in the final. The victory feels even sweeter for fans after a difficult first year in the league. Finishing last in both Winter and Spring 2024, the team struggled after betting on its club legends, Lucas "Saken" Fayard and Lucas "Cabochard" Simon-Meslet, while also taking a risky gamble on Zhou "Bo" Yang-Bo. That roster didn’t click, and Karmine Corp faced the harsh reality of top-tier competition.

While Karmine Corp was set to sign the young Korean prospect Park "Thanatos" Seung-gyu in the off season before 2024 Summer Split, the deal fell through—and that turned out to be a blessing in disguise for KC, who instead signed another top Korean player, Kim "Canna" Chang-dong. Having reached the peaks of the LCK with T1, but having a more difficult period with Dplus KIA, Canna took the risk to join a team that had just made two Top 10 finishes in the LEC. Can "Closer" Çelik came from the LCS to replace Bo and bring more stability to the team while the coaching staff decided to promote Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis from their academy team, further proving that their development model is effective and one of the most rewarding paths. With these key changes, the team bounced back in Summer 2024, steadily improving to secure a Top 4 finish by the end of the year.

The transfer market for the Winter Split 2025 was quite satisfying, as for AD Carry, it was no surprise to see Caliste "Caliste" Henry-Hennebert take Elias "Upset" Lipp' spot and make his LEC debut, especially after being previously rejected due to age restrictions. And who better to accompany him than his former partner, Raphaël "Targamas" Crabbé, with whom he had achieved great success in the ERL. Despite a challenging year for the Belgian support, the team chose to retain him, emphasizing the strong synergy he had developed with Caliste. The biggest move in this transfer market by KC is undoubtedly the arrival of Martin "Yike" Sundelin from G2. The Swedish jungler arrived with one goal in mind: to prove that all his LEC championship titles are not just a result of his former teammates' performances.

The regular season went fairly well for the Blue Wall, and so did the playoffs. In the Upper Bracket Final, Karmine Corp was humbled by G2, convincingly losing 3-1. Determined to return to the final, the team defeated Fnatic, who were considered by many as the favorites of the split. Vladi was by far the best player of the series, outshining Marek "Humanoid" Brazda and leading Karmine to face their former victors in the grand final of the LEC.

Defeating Humanoid and Fnatic is one thing, but overcoming G2 and Rasmus "Caps" Borregaard Winther in a grand final is an entirely different challenge. G2 had not lost an LEC trophy since Winter 2023 and were riding a six-final winning streak, yet KC obliterated them, proving to be faster, sharper, and better prepared. The Vladi Show was in full force, as he delivered a breathtaking performance, showing all of Europe that he was ready to take on Caps and challenge him for the throne. With a staggering 17/2/28 scoreline, the Greek midlaner dominated the competition, securing both Finals MVP and Sheep Esports' Winter Split MVP.

Statistically, KC is a very dominant team in the LEC. They are the third-fastest team to finish their games in the LEC, after G2 and SK Gaming, averaging just over 15 kills per game. However, their dominance doesn’t necessarily stem from their early game, as their gold difference at 15 minutes is on average -5, with a playstyle more focused on the bot side towards the drakes. They are first in drakes taken, with an average of 2.88 drakes per game.

This victory marks Karmine Corp's qualification for their first international event, the First Stand, after just four splits in the elite of European League of Legends. The rise of KC players is impressive: Caliste has just played and won his first split, while Vladi is only in his second split in the LEC. These young rookies have denied G2 an international event, something that hasn't happened since 2021 when they missed both Worlds and MSI.

It’s also a homecoming for Canna, who will play at the First Stand in his own country, a competition featuring only five teams but also three toplaners who have played for T1, the reigning World Champions who aren't even present at the event. These toplaners are Canna, Jeong "Impact" Eon-young, a 2013 World champion and two-time LCK champion, and Choi "Zeus" Woo-je, a two-time World Champion and also an LCK champion with the organization.

KC has now arrived in Seoul, South Korea, to prepare for First Stand, their first international competition ever. They will face Team Liquid in the tournament's opening match, followed by CTBC Flying Oyster, Top Esports, and Hanwha Life Esports. Rehareha "Reha" Ramanana stated that scrims have already been booked and discussions with Asian teams have taken place. He emphasized that they are there to "learn and surprise," adding that, in his view, the first two days will be crucial for KC.