Earning a statement victory,
Karmine Corp struck hard in the
2025 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA Stage 2 by defeating the top team of their group, Team Liquid, just before the playoffs. Now sitting in the lower bracket, the Blue Wall patiently waits and remains on the prowl, ready to take down any unsuspecting opponents coming from the upper bracket to punch their ticket to
Champions. Having recently taken the spot of Efe "Elite" Teber, 24-year-old Estonian player
Artur "pyrolll" Minin sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss his arrival in KC, his role on the team, and what’s next for the squad.
You crowned your VCT debut with a strong victory against the first-place team in your group, Team Liquid. How did it feel to play on LAN for the first time? Were you stressed?
Artur "pyrolll" Minin: "It was a very nice win, an important one in my opinion. I think I got a bit destroyed today, but the entire time it felt like we would win this match no matter what. We knew how they’d play against us, and we prepared well for that. When I was on stage, I felt like the match was in our hands the whole time. Since it was my first LAN game, I expected myself to be pretty nervous and stressed, but when I got there, it didn’t feel that way.
Today, we saw Matias "Saadhak" Delipetro moving from his usual role of Initiator to Sentinel, with you taking over as Initiator. Was it decided before you joined that you’d play this role, or is it still flexible?
pyrolll: Initially, I was supposed to play Sentinel, but then we played a few maps, and Saadhak was the one who initiated the change and said he’d feel comfortable playing Sentinel, so we just stuck to it for now. All in all, I don’t really care which role I end up playing, I can flex.
Were you surprised when Karmine Corp reached out to recruit you?
pyrolll: Yeah, I was actually really surprised to be contacted by KC. Everything happened really quickly—we sorted it all out in just 20 or 30 minutes of talk. I never expected I’d be in VCT this year.
How has it been working with the team and with your coach Andrey "Engh" Sholokhov?
pyrolll: I’m really happy to be working with this team. Engh is an insanely talented coach. He’s just really insane, and it’s so nice to be able to work with and listen to him. We’re not yet in our honeymoon phase though, we need more time.
With only a few days of practice and your elimination match coming up in a week, how are you feeling? What are you expecting from playoffs?
pyrolll: We had only three full days of practice. Right now, I don’t really know what to expect. I don’t feel anything right now. I'll find out when I step onto the stage once more next week.
Are you proud to have made it to the VCT after the ups and downs in your career?
pyrolll: For now, I’m not proud. When I show a better level, then I’ll be able to be proud of myself.
Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
What do you need to do to reach the level that will make you proud?
pyrolll: I need time. I just need time to play more with the team, to communicate and talk.
Since you don’t have much time, is there anything you can do to make sure you step up to that level?
pyrolll: I don’t know, but I mean, a week is a week—it’s not that short of a time. We’ve had four really proactive days, so I’m excited to see what we can do in a full week.
What’s the biggest difference you’ve felt between playing in Challengers and now being in the VCT?
pyrolll: The big difference is how practice goes and the preparation for enemy teams. It’s a super, insanely big difference.
Do you have a message for the Blue Wall in the Karmine Corp fanbase? Have you interacted with them yet?
pyrolll: I haven’t had many chances to interact with the Blue Wall yet, but thank you for watching us and cheering us on. We’ll try our best to get to Champions. See you then."
Header Photo Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
