Out of all the EMEA teams in the VALORANT Champions Tour, Karmine Corp had one of the tougher seasons due to a slow start, having to sub in their coach as a player. Now, heading into 2024, changes are on the horizon, with the team looking to keep one player, according to reports.
The org is looking to rebuild, putting all of its players but one on the market, including the superstar brother duo of ScreaM and Nivera, according to reports from blix.gg. The only player it looks to hold on to is Shin, one of the few bright spots on the roster across the VCT 2023 season. Coaching changes are also on the horizon, with both M80’s French coach Vincent “Happy” Schopenhauer and TSM’s Russian coach Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov being considered for the role.
This would be a major switch for the team that had put all their efforts into building around the core of ScreaM and Nivera. It made sense heading into the 2023 season, with the two brothers playing a key part in some of the best runs Team Liquid had at that time. Moving from LOCK//IN into regional play, poor results and concerning performances followed.
Related: Karmine Corp baffles fans with their surprisingly abysmal performance in VCT EMEA
The way they lost their first couple of games only led to more pressure, especially since the community wanted the team to have the success that ScreaM and Nivera proved they could achieve. It turned out to be too much, as Newzera stepped onto the inactive roster of his own accord.
This left Karmine Corp in a tough spot, without a true substitute to throw in the roster in place of him. Instead, they played their assistant coach, ZE1SH, which led to some better performances but nothing to change the trajectory of the season. They lost in the EMEA LCQ to NAVI, ending their season in July.
ScreaM himself spoke out on the season as a whole with a long tweet in his native French language. He spoke on Newzera’s departure, how he was the captain, and the poor results reflected on him, calling it the “worst results of his FPS career.” He moved on and off of the IGL role across the season, and the team never looked like it could compete with teams like NAVI, Fnatic, and Team Liquid.
The 2023-24 off-season is looking to be a chaotic one for roster moves all over the world. Karmine Corp is no exception, and they have a very good reason to move on from their 2023 players and aim higher in 2024.
