The LEC is set for a major shakeup in 2024, with French organization Karmine Corp announcing that it is joining the LEC in 2024 and taking the spot of one familiar team.
Every European League of Legends fan is familiar with the Karmine Corp brand. The team, established in 2020, is owned by popular French content creators Kamel “Kameto” Kebir and Amine “Prime” Mekri. Karmine Corp, often referred to as KCorp, started as a competitor in the LFL, France’s national league. The team has earned multiple titles, including most recently the EMEA Masters 2023.
Now, the organization is confirmed to be a part of the LEC for the 2024 season. The news was announced on Twitter.
What is Karmine Corp?
Karmine Corp is a European esports organization built primarily on its League of Legends presence, transitioning from the LFL to LEC in 2024.
KCorp has had its fair share of stars in the roster, including Martin “Rekkles” Larsson and top laner Adam “Adam” Maanane, who currently competing at Worlds 2023 for Team BDS. The team has gathered a massive following known as Le Blue Wall, which may be among the largest fandoms in European League of Legends. KCorp’s transition into the LEC was the subject of rumors for some time.
Ahead of the 2023 season, it was reported that multiple organizations were looking to sell their LEC slots. According to rumors, KCorp was one of the potential buyers for said slots. In the end, Team Heretics acquired one of the slots and KOI partnered with Rogue.
Fans were disappointed as it seemed that Karmine Corp was going to be left out of the LEC, but that lasted only for moments. Early this year, new rumors about KCorp’s move into the LEC started circulating and it is now confirmed. In 2024, KCorp will be part of the LEC.
What team is KCorp replacing in the LEC?
Karmine Corp is replacing Astralis in the LEC.
Astralis confirmed on its official website that the LEC slot has been transferred to AK-Game SAS, a new subsidiary. Karmine Corp acquired 66.67% of the shares in AK-Game SAS for roughly $18.2 million. Astralis will retain the remaining 33.33% of the capital interest.
“It is a big decision to sell the rights and step out of the LEC, which we have been very happy to be a part of…It has been a great experience, and we look forward to following the development in the future,” said Anders Horsholt, CEO of Astralis.
This comes as Astralis is reducing its operations. The organization dropped its Rainbow Six Siege roster early in 2023 despite the team being successful, which was followed by layoffs at the company in August.
