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Karmine Corp Eliminate T1 to Make the Grand Finals at the Esports World Cup 2026
18 Jul, 2026, 15:13
|Last updated: 18 Jul, 2026, 15:13
Karmine Corp just blew all predictions out of the water at the League of Legends Esports World Cup 2026. The French squad took down T1 in the Semifinals against all odds, booking their spot in the Grand Finals in front of their home crowd in Paris.
T1 Are Sent Packing
Despite a far-from-impressive showing at MSI by the reigning World Champions, T1 were still expected to be among the top performers at EWC. This turned especially true once Hanwha Life Esports and Bilibili Gaming, the two MSI finalists less than a week ago, were eliminated from the tournament.
And yet, with a seemingly easy path ahead to reach to Grand Finals of EWC, T1 stumbled. The LCK team completely outclassed Karmine Corp in the first game of the series, setting up what felt like it would be a clean sweep.
But KC are no slouches. For all of the question marks surrounding the consistency in their gameplay, this Karmine Corp squad is packed to the brim with talent; talent that shone through when they needed it most.
If Game 1 was all T1, then Game 2 was nothing but Karmine Corp from the start. A few early mistakes by T1 proved costly, and the team was simply never able to recover as KC consistently upped the pressure.
By all means, the final game of the series should have been T1's. Faker and co. were one step ahead of their LEC rivals throughout. Late into the game, though, a few mistimed engages and some lack of coordination in teamfights saw T1 pay the ultimate price: another elimination, and another disappointment.
Karmine Corp Play for an International Title, Again
Karmine Corp may have bombed out of MSI, but the Esports World Cup taking place on home soil seems to be suiting them nicely. Fueled by thousands of screaming fans, KC have now reached their second-ever Grand Finals at an international tournament.
The first time they managed the feat was at First Stand 2025, where Hanwha Life looked a tier above all throughout the finals. This time KC will hope to put on a better show, and perhaps even come away with the title to mark a first in the organization's history in League of Legends.
For now, Karmine Corp must wait to find out who they will take on in the finals. Will it be Gen.G, a team they already lost to once at this tournament? Or will it be Dplus KIA, a squad that appears to be fueled by their organization's recent struggles rather than bothered by it?
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Featured image credit: Karmine Corp
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