LEC Summer Split : Karmine Corp-BDS, one BO5, multiple stakes

This Friday's match between Karmine Corp and Team BDS is one of the most important of the year in the LEC, the League of Legends EMEA Championship, and not just for the two teams involved. It will not only determine the last team to qualify for the Season Finals but also affect the seeding. If Karmine Corp wins, they will secure their place in this end-of-season tournament—at the expense of GIANTX—and send MAD Lions KOI into the lower bracket of the Season Finals.

If BDS wins, the Swiss team would allow GIANTX to keep their place in the top 6 thanks to championship points and would also guarantee MAD Lions’ place in the upper bracket. For its part, Théo "Sheo" Borile's team is already guaranteed a spot in the upper bracket of the Season Finals but is still in search of its first LEC title.

This clash between two French-speaking clubs is taking place in a special context for several reasons. Firstly, Yanis "Striker" Kella, Adam "Adam" Maanane, and Ilias "nuc" Bizriken are all former Karmine Corp members. Having remained close to the club, or at least to its fanbase, they now have the power to shatter—at least for this year—the dream of their former CEO Kamel "Kameto" Kébir of qualifying for Worlds. On Twitter, much like Yasin "Nisqy" Dinçer did before the KC-SK Gaming match, the banter was in full swing. "You don't have what it takes, newcomers, we're going to bring you back down to earth in no time", Adam promised.

To add a little more storytelling to this confrontation, on Thursday the academies of the two teams met in the final of the upper bracket of the LFL, the French league. Karmine Corp Blue swept Team BDS Academy 3-0, even though BDSA had lost only one game in the regular season (17-1). KC therefore scored the first point of the head-to-head and will need to secure the win this Friday. Given the dynamics of the two teams, it’s not entirely unrealistic to think that Karmine could confirm their lead.

KC have been in fine form since the start of the playoffs, thanks to their carries. Elias "Upset" Lipp appeared completely unburdened on his Kai'Sa against MDK, finishing the best-of-five with a KDA of 19/0/10. Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis continues to grow in stature and was one of the main architects of Karmine's victory over SK. Kim "Canna" Chang-dong was also able to bring out his signature pick, Jayce, with which he was named MVP of the match. On the other hand, BDS have been almost miraculous in these playoffs. The Swiss outfit, who were soundly beaten by G2 Esports 0-2 in the upper bracket, had great difficulty in defeating GIANTX in the previous round of the lower bracket.

However, BDS also has several arguments in their favor. Solid throughout the year, the team finished first in the regular season (8-1) of the Summer Split, with excellent macro play. BDS also defeated KC on their way, thanks to a standout performance from Yoon "Ice" Sang-hoon, MVP of the Spring Split. The AD Carry matchup will probably be the most interesting, as Ice and Upset have already demonstrated their ability to carry in this meta.

The biggest question is whether these two teams can win a best-of-five series. After two early eliminations in the Winter and Spring, KC will be playing their first five-game match in LEC history. Although BDS has the advantage of experience, the team’s record this season in this format is disastrous, with four defeats and no wins in the Winter and Spring. The curse will need to be broken to win this match.