LoL - LEC: Beyond the Trophy – The Storylines Behind KC’s Triumph

Sunday evening marked a historic moment for European League of Legends. Karmine Corp ended G2 Esports’ reign, delivering a resounding 3-0 defeat to the Samurai, who had claimed the last six LEC titles. This latest chapter in the success story of Kamel “Kameto” Kebir’s club unfolded alongside numerous individual milestones for each roster member.

Kim "Canna" Chang-dong, for instance, became only the second player in history to win both the European Championship and the LCK, following in the footsteps of Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon, who had previously lifted trophies with Fnatic and T1. Kim "Malrang" Geun-seong could also be considered an accountant, having won the LEC Summer 2022 with Rogue and contributed to DAMWON's LCK Summer 2021 title. However, he played only ten games that season, none of them in the playoffs.

Vladimiros “Vladi” Kourtidis, named MVP of the split by Sheep Esports after two remarkable best-of-five performances in the playoffs, became the first Greek midlaner to claim the regional title. But for the other three members of the roster, the narrative is even more compelling. Martin “Yike” Sundelin and Raphaël “Targamas” Crabbé had both previously won the LEC—under the banner of G2 Esports. However, some in the community attributed their past success solely to their presence in Europe’s most dominant organization. By leading KC to victory, the jungler and support silenced their critics, triumphing against the players with whom they had once shared the stage.

Yike, in particular, departed G2 at the end of the last offseason with an almost flawless record. During his two years with the German club, the Swedish jungler reached seven out of a possible eight finals—and won every single one. With this latest triumph, Yike now holds eight European titles and remains undefeated in LEC finals. Targamas, a KC veteran, is the only player on the roster to have contributed to the club’s first LFL title (Spring 2021), its maiden European Masters victory (Spring 2021), and now its inaugural LEC championship (Winter 2025). Rehareha “Reha” Ramanana, now KC’s Head Coach in the LEC, has also been part of all these firsts, albeit in a different role back in 2021.

Fresh off their LFL Flash In triumph last week, Karmine Corp became the first team in history to win both an ERL1 title and the LEC in the same split. Meanwhile, Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert continues his meteoric rise. He is the youngest player to lift the European trophy since the LEC’s introduction (though several players, including Martin “Rekkles” Larsson, Luka “Perkz” Perković, and Rasmus “Caps” Winther, won the EU LCS at a younger age). The French AD carry has also maintained an extraordinary record: he has won every competition in which he has played his debut split since joining KC.

Since arriving at the Blue Wall, Caliste has indeed claimed the LFL Summer Split 2023 title and subsequently conquered the EMEA Masters. Now, like Vladi, he will experience his first-ever international tournament at the First Stand, where he will face off against champions from the other four major regions: Hanwha Life Esports (LCK), Top Esports (LPL), Team Liquid (LTA), and CTBC Flying Oyster (LCP). Maintaining his perfect record in debut splits at this level may require more than a miracle. But impossible is not Karmine.