Heading into the VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA Last Chance Qualifier, fans had few expectations for Karmine Corp, who had dished up relatively disappointing play in the regular season.
Despite that, in their first LCQ match, KC beat BBL by the seat of their pants in a banger 2–1 series. The team looked strong despite some speed wobbles while ahead in rounds, and even with the shadow of ScreamM potentially moving back to the IGL role.
The first two maps showed two very different versions of KC: the same ‘melons’ that caused caster Sideshow to lose his mind and then also the ones who looked reinvigorated after integrating new coach ZE1SH into the VALORANT lineup.
Map one of Haven saw KC blow a 10-4 lead to lose 14-12 in overtime. Then, map two of Lotus was a clean 13-9 win to tie the series.
Where this VALORANT series truly became legendary though was the end of map three, Bind. KC had a slight lead at half-time, up 7-5. In the second, they were up 12-7, on match point. After losing the next rounds and snowballing into a bad economy, it came down to rounds 23 and 24.
Related: KC baffles fans with surprisingly abysmal VCT EMEA performance
Then, up four players to one, KC peeked one by one into Turko’s crosshair, snatching defeat from the jaws of a VALORANT victory. No big deal, just have to win the next round, after a timeout from the coach. Easier said than done though.
It was chaotic, but KC managed to get a three-vs-two scenario in the final round before overtime. Seconds later, Turko had an ace, just after he soloed KC. For most players, that would be mentally booming. You choke away an easy-round win, and then that player builds confidence to get an ace to take it to overtime—but not for KC.
In the end, though, overtime was an easy two-round win for KC, which gave them the series victory and kept them alive.
And the key emotion post-match for KC?
“Relieved,” KC’s coach pm said after the game. “It was maybe tougher than expected on Bind, should’ve ended sooner. We’re happy to have won this, and we showed a lot of mental strength after losing that 1v4, to still win after that. We had to throw Haven and throw some rounds on Bind for the spectacle, you know?”
Karmine Corp continues their run in the LCQ, facing Giants Gaming, on June 20. Thanks to this win over BBL, if they lose, they will just drop to the lower bracket.
