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How Karmine Corp fought back to reach VALORANT Champions
After a rollercoaster season, Karmine Corp claimed their first continental title to book a place at VALORANT Champions in Shanghai.
Karmine Corp ’s 2026 VALORANT season has been anything but plain sailing, but on August 30 the Blue Wall silenced a hostile crowd in Barcelona by defeating Team Liquid 3-1 in the final of Stage 2 of the 2026 VCT EMEA. It marks the organisation’s first-ever VCT trophy, and brings with it their first ticket to the Champions tournament in Shanghai.
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Karmine Corp VALORANT: a rollercoaster 2026 season
It all began at the turn of the year with the Kickoff in Berlin: Karmine Corp secured just one victory there, snatched in the losers’ bracket against FUT Esports, before falling in turn to NAVI, Team Liquid and then Team Heretics. The result: a modest 9th–10th place finish. A lacklustre start, but nothing too dramatic either.
Then came the real blow. Placed in Group Alpha alongside Team Liquid, Team Heretics, NAVI, FUT Esports and Gentle Mates, their form completely fell apart between March and May during Stage 1. No wins, five losses and an 11th–12th place finish was the sort of form that would crush the morale of any squad. Instead of waving the white flag though, dos9, LewN, Avez, SUYGETSU and N4RRATE clearly decided to turn that humiliation into fuel.
One of the biggest changes of the year came in May, when Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov stepped down as head coach. The Russian had joined KC in late 2023 with high expectations, but results ultimately fell short and he handed the reins to his assistant, ZE1SH. His time with the team still brought a major milestone, however, as he guided KC to their first VALORANT title at Kickoff 2024.
N4RRATE stays focused ahead of the match against Team Liquid
© Riot Games
The high-profile return of Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey just weeks before Engh’s departure offered fresh hope. After leaving Sentinels at the start of 2026, N4RRATE was placed on the transfer market, giving Karmine Corp the chance to bring their former player home – a move that ultimately paid off.
What followed was almost a script written in reverse. After qualifying for the Esports World Cup in Paris, Karmine Corp knocked out Masters London finalists Paper Rex 2–1. But the mood quickly dampened in Paris in July, as KC finished 9th–12th without much fanfare. Then, between July and August, everything finally turned around. Stage 2 was the last of the season – and the one that mattered most.
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The final sprint: a near-perfect Stage 2
It was during this stage that Karmine Corp took their game to a whole new level. Placed in Group B alongside Team Liquid and FUT Esports, they put on one masterclass after another: a flawless 2–0 victory over Eternal Fire (13–6, 15–13), then against GIANTX in Week 1, before crushing Team Heretics 2–0 (13–4, 13–2) in Week 2 – one of the most dominant performances of the entire EMEA Stage 2.
Kameto is a key member of Karmine Corp
© Riot Games
The only blip was a hard-fought 2–1 defeat to FNATIC in Week 2, following a marathon series (14–16, 13–6, 15–17). There was little shame in that result, however, with FNATIC having long established themselves among VALORANT’s elite.
Week 3 brought another test against Team Liquid, but KC came through 2–1 to top their group and secure a direct place in the play-offs – a preview, as it turned out, of the grand final to come.
Two more opponents stood between them and that final. First, Enterprise Esports fell 2–1 in the semi-final, with an in-form N4RRATE leading the charge. Then FUT Esports were swept aside 2–0, a victory that also secured KC’s place at VALORANT Champions in Shanghai – their first international appearance since Madrid in 2024.
Now just one hurdle remained between Karmine Corp and the trophy: Team Liquid, once again.
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Team Liquid defeated in five maps
The final got off to a flying start. On Sunset, KC raced into a 6–1 lead before being pegged back to 6–6 at the break, but responded by taking seven of the next eight rounds to win 13–7. Ascent was even more convincing, with a 13–6 victory putting them 2–0 up.
Team Liquid hit back on Lotus, winning 13–7, but KC shut the door on Summit with a 13–10 victory. Final score: 3–1, and a first trophy of the season for Karmine Corp.
As for the atmosphere, it was anything but a cosy haven. Playing on hostile ground in the wake of the rivalry between Kameto and Ibai, in front of a crowd roaring for Team Liquid, could have rattled any squad. Clearly, it wasn’t enough to throw the Blue Wall off their game.
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KC book their first Champions ticket
This victory means more than another trophy: it sends Karmine Corp to their first VALORANT Champions, held in Shanghai from September 24 to October 18. Sixteen teams – four from each region – will be split into four groups, with one representative from each region per group. The top eight will then advance to a double-elimination bracket for a share of the $2.25 million prize pool.
Joining Karmine Corp as Europe’s representatives are Team Vitality, FUT Esports and, once again, Team Liquid. The two finalists won’t meet in the group stage, however, with each group featuring only one team from each region.
There’s added significance to this year’s event, too. It will be the final Champions under the current franchised league format, before the VALORANT Champions Tour introduces an open qualifier system from 2027.
