Ici Japon Corp defeated
Karmine Corp Blue 3-1 in their flagship competition, the EMEA Masters, securing their first-ever spot in the final. The Winter Split 2025 marks IJC’s debut in the first division, and after a strong Top 2 finish in the LFL Flash In—
where they fell to KCB—the team has only improved throughout the tournament. This progress culminated in
Jeon "Howling" Ho-bin and his teammates overcoming the squad that denied them a local title. The Korean toplaner claimed the MVP title and helped secure IJC’s place in the grand final, where they will face the winner of the March 22 Bo5 at 5 PM CET between the tournament’s biggest surprise, Team Phantasma, and NLC champions Los Ratones.
Beyond Howling’s impact,
Lee "Hans SamD" Jae-hoon delivered a flawless performance across all four games—even in defeat. With a combined KDA of 33/4/13 and consistently precise positioning, the 24-year-old AD Carry continues to prove he doesn’t intend to stay in the European Tier 2 scene for long. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before a LEC team comes knocking.
KCB’s run remains commendable—reaching the semifinals with a roster that had so little time together is already a strong achievement. Kim "Piero" Jung-hun’s
visa issues led to Emilien "Nsurr" Gergaud stepping in, while
Mehdi "Boukada" Lahlou’s promotion to SK Gaming in the LEC saw Ismaïl "ISMA" Boualem take over for EMEA Masters before he, too,
moved up to GIANTX. Heading into the Spring Split, Karmine Corp Blue’s academy jungler
will now be Johnny "Yukino" Dang.
One best-of-five stands between IJC and the ultimate Tier 2 title. They will face the winner of the semifinal between Team Phantasma and Los Ratones, with the grand final set to take place on Sunday, March 23, at 5 PM CET.
