Karmine Corp edge out Team Liquid and win VCT EMEA Stage 2

“The last shall be first.” Having started from the bottom of the standings after the VCT EMEA Stage 1, with no Championship Points to their name heading into Stage 2, few could have imagined Karmine Corp sitting at the top of the region just a few weeks later. Yet that is exactly what the French team accomplished, capping off the second half of their season in emphatic fashion by defeating Team Liquid in the final in Badalona.

After overcoming FUT Esports just a few days earlier to secure their qualification for the VALORANT Champions, KC held their nerve in the final to dispatch their last remaining opponent. In a rematch of one of the most closely contested series of the Group Stage, the French side gave Team Liquid very little room to breathe, despite TL coming into the final on a four-series and nine-map winning streak.

Karmine Corp immediately took their opponents by the throat, suffocating Team Liquid on Sunset before doing the same on Ascent. Exploiting TL's offensive weaknesses, the Blue Wall put their opponents under immense pressure while capitalizing on their own strengths on both sides of the map to quickly take a 2-0 lead in the series. The 2025 Stage 2 champions responded on Lotus, a map that had served them well in their previous matches and which had been picked by KC.

Down 7-0 on Summit, the momentum appeared to have shifted and seemed to be carrying Team Liquid towards a decisive fifth map. KC, however, eventually found their footing, cutting the deficit to 7-5 before completely taking control of the second half. They closed out the map 13-10, securing their first trophy since the VCT EMEA Kickoff in 2024.

After remaining relatively quiet throughout the early stages of the playoffs, allowing teammates such as Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey and Hazem “avez” Khaled to take the spotlight, Dastan "dos9" Zhumagali chose the perfect moment to step up. Unstoppable across the first two maps, he finished the best-of-five at the top of the scoreboard, delivering a series of crucial rounds and high-pressure clutches.

Following this victory, the next challenge awaiting the organization is the VALORANT Champions in Shanghai. KC will enter the tournament as EMEA's No. 1 seed, while Team Liquid will be the region's No. 2 seed, followed by FUT Esports and Team Vitality.