What seemed inevitable has now come to pass. Following a fifth defeat in as many matches during VCT EMEA Stage 1, confirming their elimination, Karmine Corp have decided to part ways with Head Coach Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov, who had been leading the team since 2024, sources tell Sheep Esports.

Assistant coach of the team and a member of Karmine Corp since the organization’s early days on the game, Ahmed “ZE1SH” Sheikh will take on the role of Head Coach for the first time in his career. He will attempt to shift the momentum of a team that has just been eliminated and is set to begin its run in the EWC EMEA Qualifier on May 12.

This Thursday, KC once again fell to NAVI in their final group stage match, despite both teams already being eliminated from playoff contention. Following the defeat, the organization’s CEO, Kamel “Kameto” Kebir, stated during a live Twitch broadcast that changes would be made in the near future, as the current results were deemed unacceptable.

Upon his arrival, Engh had brought renewed momentum to the organization, notably winning the VCT EMEA Kickoff 2024, which remains to this day the club’s only VCT title. Since then, however, results have deteriorated significantly, with Karmine Corp now among the seven remaining teams worldwide yet to secure any Championship Points toward qualification for the VALORANT Champions at the end of the season.

The French organization had rebuilt its roster during the offseason, bringing in three new players after an already difficult 2025 campaign. However, underwhelming performances at Kickoff, compounded by a heavy loss at the EMEA Clash against Enterprise Esports, prompted an early adjustment during the first break of the season, with the return of Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey following his departure from Sentinels. Despite these changes, results remained far below expectations, and fans had grown increasingly impatient, with many beginning to attribute the team’s repeated failures to the coaching staff.