LEC 2026 – Karmine Corp: Busy as a Wolf (7/10)

Karmine Corp were the team that generated the most attention during this LEC offseason. Eliminated from the 2025 Summer Split on the brink of Worlds qualification, the reigning Winter champions chose to rebuild on solid foundations, with Martin "Yike" Sundelin and Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert still under contract, as well as the extension of Kim "Canna" Chang-dong. To reinforce the roster, KC opted to import two players.

The first, Alan "Busio" Cwalina, arrives from North America and is tasked with succeeding one of the most emblematic players in the club’s history, Raphaël "Targamas" Crabbé. The second, Kang "kyeahoo" Yea-hoo, competed in the LCK last season and replaces Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis, whose final months with KC proved turbulent.

Clément Laparra, the club’s Head of Esports, spoke with Sheep Esports about the course of this offseason, which positions KC among the main contenders for the year ahead. While Caliste’s place was never in question, some observers raised doubts regarding Yike’s future, due to Johnny "Yukino" Dang’s exceptional performances in the LFL and at EMEA Masters with Karmine Corp Blue. However, the organization never considered replacing its starting jungler, who remained excellent throughout 2025 and was himself described as “a demolition company” during his ERL tenure with LDLC OL.

The organization’s two main priorities were adjusting the coaching staff and securing a contract extension for Canna, in order to “address what had been lacking last year in terms of rigour at certain key moments.” Progress on the latter came quickly. While open to options in Korea, the former T1 player also made it clear that if his future were to remain in the West, Karmine Corp would be his preferred destination.

That stance allowed KC to act swiftly in negotiations and deter other European teams from approaching the player. “We moved very fast and very decisively because we knew it would leave an impression,” Clément Laparra explains. KC ultimately managed to extend Canna’s contract despite strong interest from Team Liquid. “We significantly upgraded his package,” he adds, outlining how the club convinced the toplaner to stay. “Beyond the financial aspect, there’s also a year and a half of work with us, taking good care of him. The affection from the fans matters too. He sees how much love he gets.”

The manager also acknowledges that “what saved us was KT Rolster reaching the Worlds final.” In his view, KT could have shown interest in Canna, and KC would not have been able to compete with the financial power of the world runners-up. The French organisation nevertheless had several contingency plans, including four Korean names and the possibility of promoting Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin, who had impressed in the academy for two years before eventually joining Natus Vincere during this offseason.

The second offseason priority, the coaching staff, was finalized much later, following a process intertwined with the search for a new midlaner and a potential new support. For the head coach position, KC sought a profile capable of bringing “rigour in how the group is managed.” After numerous technical and managerial evaluations, the Blue Wall settled on Bok "Reapered" Han-gyu, “someone we’ve followed for a very long time, one of the first people we contacted when we secured an LEC slot,” Laparra reveals. KC had also considered recruiting the FlyQuest duo Erlend "Nukeduck" Holm and Alfonso "mithy" Rodríguez, or appointing Quentin "Zeph" Viguié as head coach.

The final decision ultimately came down to the Frenchman and the South Korean. “We could have Reapered as head coach with Zeph as assistant, whereas the reverse wasn’t possible,” explains the manager. Zeph had been on the club’s radar for some time and could have joined last year. Reapered’s selection was also motivated by the desire for an Anglo-Korean profile capable of stimulating Canna more effectively. “Reapered tends to lead the reviews, while Zeph handles a lot of individual work on the side.” Reapered also delegates drafting responsibilities to his assistant, who had excelled in that area with Movistar KOI this year.

Alongside their coaching considerations, KC intensified their search for a new midlaner. Parting ways with Vladi quickly emerged as unavoidable. “There was a loss of group cohesion,” Clément Laparra admits. “He and the rest of the team drifted apart. He was a bit of our class clown, positively, and we lost that. There was also a lot of friction with the staff, and it only got worse. We tried every approach, whether stricter or more understanding, more discussion-based, more adaptive. In the end, nothing worked, and the relationships with teammates had turned sour.” KC therefore had to choose between retaining the Yike–Caliste duo or keeping Vladi, and opted to move forward with the former.

Unconvinced by the European market — “there was nothing that wouldn’t have been a massive downgrade compared to Vladi” — KC turned their attention to Korean profiles. The club identified around ten candidates, including four competing in the LCS: Lee "Loki" Sang-min, Song "Quad" Soo-hyung, Kang "Saint" Seong-in, and Lim "Quid" Hyeon-seung. The latter two, “very well suited to an English-speaking environment,” were the primary options. After an excellent Worlds performance with 100 Thieves, Quid attracted significant interest, and KC could not match Team Liquid’s offer, allowing Liquid to take their revenge for Canna. Saint, less prominent toward the end of the season, could have been more attainable, with a buyout offset by Vladi’s sale, but LYON were unwilling to negotiate.

In Korea, while Yoo "Zinie" Baek-jin and Lee "BuLLDoG" Tae-young were considered, kyeahoo quickly rose to the top of the list. In part, this was due to Reapered having faced him in scrims during Cloud9’s bootcamp in Korea. “He told me, ‘If Canna doesn’t stay, I recommend Frog (Lee Min-hoi) and kyeahoo. Both are excellent,’” Laparra recounts. KC’s data tools and kyeahoo’s adaptable champion pool confirmed the staff’s impressions, who were also pleased to replace Vladi with another “disruptive personality.” Negotiations proved difficult, however, as the midlaner was reportedly close to joining the LPL. “I was talking to the agent every day,” Laparra explains. “We told kyeahoo, ‘We promise you’ll be happier with us than in China.’ He eventually believed it, but it was long and difficult.”

Before finalizing the midlane signing, KC had already secured a new support. A change in that role was not initially obvious. “We reviewed each position individually. Busio was on the list, but that meant either not having Canna or signing a European midlaner, so I didn’t believe in it,” Laparra explains. With teams limited to two imports, the FlyQuest support could only be considered if KC’s preferred scenarios fell through.

“Someone tells us, ‘but he has a Polish flag on Leaguepedia,’” the manager recalls. He then contacted Busio’s agent and learned that the support held a Polish passport. “I went knocking on Riot’s door. At first, they told me it wouldn’t work. I copy-pasted their own rulebook and said, ‘He has a passport, he hasn’t changed regions in the past two years, according to my reading, it should be possible.’ The next day, we were told it was allowed.”

KC then had to decide between Targamas and Busio. “Busio seemed slightly stronger to us, a bit more clutch in how he calls teamfights,” Laparra explains. Caliste and Yike were consulted and validated the decision, with the AD carry being “very involved” in the process. “I’m delighted that my franchise player is involved,” the manager adds. “It makes everything much easier when your cornerstone says, ‘this one no thank you’, ‘this one looks strong.’ He needed to feel confident because this is his year of confirmation, so he has to be ready.”

Yike and Caliste were also asked for their input on the coaching choice. “They’re the ones who’ll be working with the coach every day over the coming year. It would be a pointless ego move not to ask for their opinion,” Laparra concludes. In any case, Karmine’s roster will rank among the three most expensive in the LEC according to the manager, and the team therefore arrives with ambitions commensurate with its level of investment. A repeat of the 2025 Summer misstep is simply not an option.

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

1. NAVI with Head Coach TheRock
2. SK Gaming with Head Coach OWN3R
3. Team Heretics with Head Coach Hidon
4. Movistar KOI with Head Coach Melzhet
5. Shifters with no one
6. Team Vitality with CEO Neo