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The French are Coming: First look at Karmine Corp.’s Potential New Roster
Karmine Corp. Full Roster revealed?
According to insider source George Geddes and Blix, we have a first look at Karmine Corp’s new Valorant roster for the 2023 VCT season. The French organization enjoyed the spotlight earlier this month when reports began surfacing that they were looking to sign the ex-CS trio of “xms”, “ScreaM”, and “Nivera.”
Although unconfirmed by the organization at this juncture, leaks seeped through that suggests discussions to be completed, with only the signatures of the brothers still missing. Yesterday, George Geddes followed up the previous report with another, suggesting the first picture of the new Karmine Corp. roster.
According to the leak, the brothers Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom and Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom are set to be joined by Alexander “xms” Forté, formerly of Mad Lions. Former Karmine Corp. players Ryad “Shin” Ensaad and Alexis “Newzera” Humbert are also set to return to the active roster, the leak suggests.
Full Revamp
With the news at the end of September that Karmine Corp. had successfully made the partnered team for VCT 2023, the organization announced that their entire current lineup would be placed on the bench and open to new offers.
It was apparent that the French organization was looking to make a big splash, and they were willing to go aggressive in the market to secure new top players. First the report of “ScreaM” and “Nivera” not re-signing with Liquid came through. That was then followed by multiple sources that indicated the brothers were looking to sign with Karmine Corp.
As a French organization, it made sense as an option comfort-wise. Furthermore, there was a sense of a familiarity for “ScreaM” and "Nivera" to return to a French speaking roster as in his VeryGames and Titan days, especially alongside former teammate “xms.”
Legends Return
“xms” did not have an extremely notable career in CS, most well-remembered for his legendary five one-tap ace on Overpass against Kinguin. However, during the second Great French Shuffle, “xms” found himself on TeamEnvy, alongside legends such as “RpK”, “Happy” and “SIXER.” It was on this roster that he would win Dreamhack Open Atlanta in 2017.
Also known for his one-taps, “ScreaM” would end his time on Liquid with mixed results. Having accomplished multiple top 4 and 8 finishes, he also took on the reins of In-Game Leader (IGL) for the team whilst playing duelist, one of the few players to do so.
Finally, “Nivera” has successfully built a brand similar to his brother as a top tier player. Despite middling results, he would demonstrate a remarkable aptitude for flexibility on agent pool and roles. Of particular note was his clutch ability during his time on Liquid, securing vital rounds for his team.
Balanced Roster
As the former controller for Karmine Corp. “Shin” would round out the roster nicely alongside his teammate “Newzera,” who typically played Breach and Skye. With the assumption that “ScreaM” would take on primary duelist roles, it would leave “Nivera” and “xms” on flex, leaving a lot of potential for different compositions for the roster.
Should the Karmine Corp. roster go through, it would look as follows:
- Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom
- Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom
- Alexander “xms” Forté
- Ryad “Shin” Ensaad
- Alexis “Newzera” Humbert
Image credit: Karmine Corp
