This weekend
Karmine Corp put an end to G2 Esports’ reign and claim their first-ever LEC title in the Winter Split 2025. This achievement was made even sweeter after a challenging 2024 season for the French organization — the Blue Wall stood tall against the Samurai, delivering a dominant 3-0 sweep. With this statement victory, KC now set their sights on Seoul, where they will compete at the year’s first international event: the inaugural First Stand tournament.
This title that marks only the beginning of the journey for Kamel "Kameto" Kebir and Karmine Corp fans, who have always dreamed big — one day, the organization aims to win Worlds.
A stomp from start to finish
Before the start of the series, most analysts and fans had G2 as the favorites, and it was hard to disagree. G2 had won seven of the last eight LEC titles — losing only in Spring 2023 — and had just defeated KC a week earlier in a convincing 3-1 series. Over the course of their dominant streak, G2 were the only European team capable of competing with the Asian giants, though their international performances remained modest.
Although G2 was less dominant in the regular season compared to previous years, their playoffs performance was reassuring. It was hard to imagine a world where G2 would be steamrolled by KC.
The series kicked off with a dominant performance from Karmine Corp. It was especially satisfying to see that the heavy defeat
Caliste "Caliste" Henry-Hennebert suffered on his Varus in the previous series against G2 didn’t break his spirit. Instead, it motivated him to come back even stronger. On the same champion, the 18-year-old French AD Carry made G2 retreat, never letting up until G2's nexus exploded.
The second game was the most contested of the three. Though Karmine Corp led in gold throughout the early game, G2 managed to find their way back into the match, briefly giving fans hope for an equalizer in the series. However, their composition quickly lost steam, allowing Karmine Corp to regain control and close out the game after 33 minutes, with 18 kills for KC and only 9 for G2.
If this split taught us anything, it’s that you should never leave Viktor open against
Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis. With a 10/1/7 score in Game 3, the Greek midlaner dominated from start to finish, leaving no doubt about the outcome of the match, a 3-0 sweep for Karmine Corp. He was also named Most Valuable Player of the final. Vladi — affectionately dubbed "The Goblin" — managed to draw the spotlight of the European esports scene during the playoffs, building on his impressive Summer 2024 performance.
The LEC Winter Split 2025 has come to an end, crowning Karmine Corp as the champions. The organization, dreaming of greatness, certainly has no intention of stopping here. In one week,
they will face Hanwha Life Esports, Top Esports, Team Liquid, and CTBC Flying Oyster at First Stand, the first international tournament with fearless draft. This will be the organization’s first international event, with the Summoner’s Cup and Worlds firmly in their sights sooner or later.
