For the first time in the organization’s history,
have qualified for the
League of Legends World Championship. A landmark achievement for the Blue Wall, star AD Carry
and his team can finally breathe a sigh of relief after defeating
3-1 and securing their ticket to the United States. However, the job is far from finished, with the squad now preparing to
face their nemesis,
.
In an exclusive interview with Sheep Esports, the 20-year-old botlaner discusses Karmine Corp’s recent performances and what qualifying for Worlds 2026 means to him. He also looks ahead to the upcoming clash against G2 and delivers a message to the Blue Wall.
You just beat GIANTX 3-1, and throughout the series you looked like the clearly stronger team. What do you think made the difference today?
Caliste "Caliste" Henry-Hennebert: “I think that today we were just prepared as a team, and we were really focused on winning and securing the Worlds spot. I think we were pretty well prepared overall, besides the Game 2 draft. So yeah, everyone was really focused on securing the Worlds spot.
You are now on a 10-series win streak. Do you feel like Karmine Corp have evolved significantly since the previous road trip? What has changed the most since then?
Caliste: We definitely evolved since the past road trip in Paris, but honestly, I don't think we changed that much. I think we're basically the same team. The most important thing is just staying focused and having enough energy to keep fighting.
told us recently in another interview that some of the scrims against LEC teams haven't been particularly useful for him. From your perspective, do you agree with that? And how big is the difference between scrimming LEC teams and Asian teams now that you've qualified for Worlds?
Caliste: Scrimming against Korean and Asian teams is most of the time more beneficial because everyone is putting a lot of energy into it, the games are at a higher level, and stuff like that. You don't have the chance to scrim them that much, so you're putting a lot of effort into it.
But for me, it's mostly about the mentality, the effort you're putting in, and the energy you're bringing into the scrims. You can have really high-level scrims in the LEC, but I think it's mostly about the commitment people are putting into them.
Karmine Corp have been chasing a Worlds appearance for a long time, and now you've finally secured it. How important is this, not only for the organization, knowing how much the fans have wanted it, but also for you personally?
Caliste: For me, for the organization, it was the minimum we wanted to achieve. I think even Reapered said it in one interview: if we're not going to Worlds, then we have no reason to be here, right? We made a project to aim for the top, to be the best team, and if we're not going to Worlds, obviously we're not the best team in the region. So yeah, obviously it's the most basic goal, but I'm really happy that we can make it to Worlds.
When you look back at where you were at the beginning of your career, did you ever imagine reaching Worlds this quickly? What does it mean to you personally?
Caliste: Yeah, I imagined myself going to Worlds, and I'm really happy that we made it. Now my only goal is obviously to win the LEC, but also to make sure I'm in the best shape possible for the LEC playoffs and the Worlds coming up, so I can have a great showing and be in my top form, able to match the best players in the world.
Do you think qualifying for Worlds can become an advantage for the team, or is it something you'll have to learn to deal with? You've already played at MSI and the Esports World Cup, but this will be your first Worlds.
Caliste: Honestly, I'm not sure. MSI was honestly kind of deceiving, but the Esports World Cup was good. If we're in the same shape as we were at MSI, then obviously it's going to be bad, right? But if we have the same mindset as we did at the EWC, I think we can put in a great performance.
We have really talented and really smart players, so it just depends on how our mentality is, whether we're confident, whether we're not hesitating and stuff like that.
Tomorrow you face G2 Esports, with both teams already qualified for Worlds. What do you expect from the match? I imagine you still want to prove yourselves as the best team in the LEC.
Caliste: Tomorrow, I'm expecting some ego and a lot of fighting. Obviously, for them, or for us, we’re the teams that can challenge and beat the other, right? So every time there's a lot of fighting, there's a lot of pressure, and there are always messy fights.
And it's the upper final, right? And both teams are already going to Worlds. Obviously, there's still the finals spot, but maybe there will be some messy games because there will be a lot of fighting and stuff. Personally, I hope it goes to five games and that it's great League of Legends, so both teams can improve from the series and show that they're both strong going into Worlds. But obviously, I want to win.
Lastly, do you have a message not only for the French community following you online, but also for the fans who came to support you today?
Caliste: Honestly, I want to thank every community that follows us—Spanish, French, English, German, anyone. It feels really great to have so much support, and I feel like there are so many people behind us, pushing even harder for us to go to Worlds and be strong, helping us and just sending good messages. Every time we meet them in real life, it's always a great moment, so I would like to say thank you.”
