French esports organization Karmine Corp has officially joined the Esports World Cup 2026 club partner program for the 2026 season. The club became one of the 40 partner organizations in the program, granting it access to additional funding.
The spot in the partner program was vacated by Norwegian organization HEROIC, which lost its status due to the disbandment of its Dota 2 roster and an internal restructuring process.
For Karmine Corp, which already participated in the program in 2025, returning to the partner pool will provide significant financial support.
Last month, the organization’s co-founder and president Kamel Kebir announced a cost-cutting plan for 2026 that included reducing merchandise lines, cutting administrative budgets, and scaling back documentary series production in order to stabilize the club financially.
According to former CEO Arthur Perticoz, clubs that failed to qualify for the EWC partner program were missing out on approximately $200,000–300,000 in base funding.
Now, thanks to payouts from the Esports Foundation and marketing bonuses tied to content creation, Karmine Corp could receive up to $1 million in funding, dramatically improving the club’s financial situation.
Recall that esports agent Jerome Coupez, who represents the interests of Mathieu Herbaut and Viktor Orudzhev, recently joined the ownership group of Le Mans FC.
