Karmine Corp (French pronunciation: [kaʁmin]; or simply KCorp) is a French professional esports organization incorporated in Tours and headquartered in Paris, France. The team employs professional players across six divisions, namely League of Legends, TrackMania, Teamfight Tactics, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Valorant and Rocket League.[9]
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| Nickname | Blue Wall |
|---|---|
| Short name | KC / KCorp |
| Divisions | League of Legends Valorant TrackMania Teamfight Tactics Rocket League |
| Founded | 30 March 2020 (as Kameto Corp) 16 November 2020 (as Karmine Corp) |
| League | |
| Division |  Top tier (2021-2023)  Top tier |
| Based in | Tours, France (legal seat) Paris, France (siège social) |
| Colors | Blue |
| Anthem | KELAWIN[1] |
| President | Kamel "Kameto" Kebir[2][3] |
| Director general | Amine "Prime" Mekri[2][3] |
| Managing director | Zouhair "Kotei" Darji[4] (esports) Xavier Oswald[5] (business & strategy) |
| Official fan club | Ultras[6][7][8] |
| Partners | Chupa Chups, Direct Assurance, Logitech, Michelin, Red Bull, RhinoShield, Samsung Odyssey, ekWateur |
| Website | www |
Founded as Kameto Corp on 30 March 2020 by Twitch streamer duo Kamel "Kameto" Kebir and Zouhair "Kotei" Darji,[10] the team took its current name when rapper and entrepreneur Amine "Prime" Mekri joined it as a founding member and joint owner on 16 November 2020. Under its new leadership, the organization underwent a major restructuring and purchased Nantes-based Team Oplon's Ligue française de League of Legends (or LFL) slot, thereby replacing it beginning with the 2021 season of France's top-level national league.[11][12][13]
In 2023, Karmine Corp's League of Legends division was EMEA Masters titleholder.[14] With their 2022 European Masters Spring Split victory, they became the first team to win it thrice, as well as the first team to win a hat-trick.[15][16] Karmine Corp's Rocket League team won the WePlay Esports Invitational (EMEA region) in 2021.[17] The group's Rocket League team also won the RLCS Fall and Winter EU Regional tournaments held in 2022 and 2023, as well as the RLCS Winter Split Major tournament in 2023.[18] In October 18th, 2023, Kameto announced the team would be joining the LEC after acquiring stake in the slot owned by Danish esports organisation Astralis.
Karmine Corp has had rights to operate esports events and tournaments at Les Arènes, a 3,000-seat venue in Paris, since May 2024.[19] The organization is also part of the Esports World Cup Foundation Club Support Program, funded by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which gives organizations like Karmine Corp monetary resources if they want to expand into new esports and if they promote the Esports World Cup effectively.[20]
Divisions
editValorant
editKarmine Corp entered Valorant in May 2022, signing the roster of Amilwa, mikee, Shin, TakaS and Newzera.[21] On 22 September 2022, they were announced as one of the 10 partner teams for the Valorant EMEA league.[22]
Rosters
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Legend:
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Tournament results
edit| League of Legends (6) | Teamfight Tactics (6) | Rocket League (7) |
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| TrackMania (3) | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (3) | Valorant |
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References
edit- ^ "La Karmine Corp est championne d'Europe !". WSC Group. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ a b Stated as found in company statutes. Both Prime and Kameto are often referred to as the company's co-CEOs in press releases and news articles.
- ^ a b "Kameto et Prime fondateurs et CEO de la Karmine Corp nous plongent dans la folle aventure de cette équipe française mais aussi une nouvelle manière d'aborder le monde de l'esport". Forbes. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "'When we saw the movement, we knew we shouldn't let it fade': The making of KCorp and the 'blue wall'". InvenGlobal. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Xavier Oswald rejoint la Karmine Corp". Against All Authority (in French). Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Karmine Corp TRACKS". Arte (in French). Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Kameto revient sur six succès du jeux vidéo pour GQ (League Of Legends, Football Manager, Trackmania…)". GQ (in French). 13 April 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Ultras dans l'e-sport : la Karmine Corp montre la voie". SOFOOT (in French). Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Karmine Corp, un club atypique au sommet de l'e-sport français". Le Monde (in French). 15 May 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ "La Kameto Corp rejoint la Division 2". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Kameto : " On a voulu voir plus haut avec Prime "". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ "L'esport emporté par la vague Karmine Corp". France 24 (in French). 15 May 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ "League of Legends : la Karmine Corp championne de France". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ "Esport - League of Legends : la Karmine invincible". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Arrivé, Paul (7 May 2022). "Esport - League of Legends : intouchable, la Karmine Corp conserve son trophée des European Masters". L'équipe (in French). Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ Popko, John (7 May 2022). "Karmine Corp defeat LDLC OL 3-1 to win 2022 EU Masters Spring Finals". Inven Global. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "Karmine Corp wins WePlay Esports Invitational 2021 EMEA". EGW EGAMERSWORLD. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "Karmine Corp captures Rocket League Winter Split Major". Reuters. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ Kelly, Michael (26 May 2024). "Karmine Corp unveils 3,000-seat esports stadium, sparking criticism of Riot's 'plastic seat arena'". Dot Esports. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ Fudge, James (6 May 2024). "30 Teams Selected for the Esports World Cup Club Support Program". The Esports Advocate. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "KCorp Launches Valorant And Joins VRL For Split 2 - Mandatory.gg Esport". Mandatory.gg. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ^ "Full list of the teams accepted to Valorant Partnership Program". Blix. Retrieved 26 September 2022.