The 2026 League of Legends season is slowly coming to an end, with all national and regional leagues now concluded. The offseason is therefore starting to take shape, and there is already movement within Karmine Corp Blue, who have secured midlaner Hamza “Panda” Siala, promoting him after a very strong year with KC Blue Stars in the Nexus League, according to sources who have talked with Sheep Esports.
According to our sources, the Lebanese midlaner also attracted interest from other ERL teams, including G2 NORD. Karmine Corp, however, were convinced that they wanted to promote Panda and did not hold discussions with any other midlaners. Both parties will therefore sign a new deal for the LFL.
Karmine Corp Blue in the LFL
Karmine Corp Blue are therefore the second LFL team to begin building their roster for the 2027 season this offseason. Amid an economic crisis in the ERLs and the departure of numerous organizations, very few teams have started their recruitment process so far. Following Serin's arrival at Galions, Karmine Corp Blue have now secured their first player.
At this stage, Galions and Karmine Corp Blue are the only teams to have started discussions with players ahead of next season. Solary is also expected to follow suit soon, but opportunities remain very limited for players on the market.
As previously reported by Sheep Esports, the LFL will continue in 2027 despite Webedia’s departure.
Panda's rise continues
Panda will therefore return to Tier 2 after a successful year with KCBS, who dominated and won both Nexus League splits following a forgettable LFL Invitational. The 18-year-old first made a name for himself in the Arabian League, initially with 3BL Esports before joining One More Esports, following a brief stint in the EBL with Lupus Esports.
It is also worth noting that he represented his country, Lebanon, twice: as a mid laner at the Arab International Tournament and as a top laner at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 MEA Qualifier, making way for regional legend Ahmad "Giyuu" Charif. He notably played alongside Disguised's Sajed "sajed" Ziade at the latter event.
Karmine Corp's academy continues to pay off
Panda will be the fourth player to move directly from KCBS to KCB in the LFL. He follows Xu "Tao" Hongtao Alessandro and Costin "Hazel" Pestrițu, as well as Rocco "Looki" Palfi, who made the move more recently. Widely regarded as a promising prospect on the ERL scene, Panda will be under close scrutiny from both fans and industry professionals.
Panda is currently among the top 50 Challenger players on the EUW server, with over 3,000 LP and a 54% win rate across more than 1,200 games. His champion pool reflects his playstyle, with Yasuo, Sylas, Jayce, Qiyana and Yone among his most-played champions. He has a win rate above 56% on all of them except Yasuo, his most-played champion.
In competitive play, his 2026 champion pool is more conventional, reflecting the picks commonly seen at the professional level. Ryze is his most-played champion with 16 games, followed by Sylas with seven, while Yone, Anivia and Orianna have each appeared in six games. However, he still brings out his pocket picks whenever the game allows it.
For more roster changes, check out our
Transfers Hub.