Following an impressive run at the Esports World Cup, Karmine Corp successfully kicked off the 2026 LEC Summer Split. During the opening weekend at the Adidas Arena in Paris, the "Blue Wall" secured three consecutive victories, capping off the weekend with a tense triumph over G2 Esports in a match already being called one of the best in the league's history. KC's assistant coach Quentin "Zeph" Viguié commented on the historic series, the atmosphere in the arena, and expectations for the upcoming World Championship.
The crucial Game 3 against G2 proved to be incredibly difficult. According to Zeph, both teams had a clear game plan, but G2 constantly set traps that KC players occasionally fell into, putting them in unfavorable situations. Despite this, Karmine Corp managed to scale their advantage, performed well in the early game, and ultimately snatched the victory thanks to better team fight execution.
The coach also noted the significant impact of the home crowd. Karmine Corp has yet to lose in front of their fans in Paris. Although the players are fully focused during the match, the support of the audience plays an undeniable role.
Karmine Corp and G2 Esports are currently considered the undisputed leaders of the LEC. Despite having similar overall strengths, the teams differ drastically in their approach to the game:
- Different Champion Pools: The teams play entirely different champions, which automatically creates unique strengths and weaknesses during the laning phase.
- Playstyle: Zeph believes that KC has a slight edge specifically in team fights, but a direct comparison is complicated by their drastically different approaches to drafting.
- Lack of Mutual Scrims: Throughout the year, the teams have played practice matches against each other no more than 4-5 times. KC prefers to practice in Korea, so they have to adapt to G2 directly during official matches.
Zeph also commented on the unexpected head coach change for G2, where Luka "Perkz" Perković replaced Dylan Falco. Although the change was a surprise, G2's high level of play hasn't dropped, as the players continue to rely on the solid foundation laid by the previous staff.
Amid the successes of European teams at MSI and the EWC, expectations for the West at the World Championship have significantly increased. Zeph predicts that at least one of the two top teams—G2 or KC—will reach the Worlds semifinals. At the same time, he emphasizes that the final result will heavily depend on the bracket, the teams' form, and the current meta.
Regarding the third team to represent Europe at Worlds, KC's assistant coach is placing a clear bet on Movistar KOI. Despite their poor 0-3 start to the summer season, Zeph is confident they will make the playoffs and remain in the top three, viewing Team Vitality or Fnatic only as possible, but less convincing, alternatives.
Drawing on his past experience with Movistar KOI, Zeph pointed out key differences in the corporate culture of the two organizations. At Karmine Corp, an atmosphere of freedom prevails: the management and coaching staff are more flexible and responsive to the players' requests. In contrast, the workflow at KOI featured much stricter rules, which the specialist characterized as rigid and bordering on "military" discipline.
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