Karmine Corp in advanced talks with Vatira and ExoTiiK
With Joseph "noly" Kidd and Maëllo "AztraL" Ernst set to leave the team following a successful Spring split and World Championship, Karmine Corp is looking to build a new team around Amine "itachi" Benayachi. The organization is now in talks with Moist Esports and SMPR Esports to sign Axel "Vatira" Touret and Brice "ExoTiiK" Bigeard, respectively. Should it go through, the French-speaking trio would immediately become a favorite to dethrone Team BDS as Europe’s best.
Although Joe "Joyo" Young, Finlay "rise." Ferguson, and Vatira were rookies entering RLCS 2021-22, they exploded onto the radar of even the most casual fans in the Winter Split. In the final two-thirds of the season, they captured three regional titles, a Major win in London, and a second place at the Winter Major. Considered by many to be their best player, Vatira was an essential part of their success, and he was awarded the European RLCS MVP this past season. However, a disappointing World Championship run that saw them bow out in spectacular fashion to FURIA in the quarterfinals may have left Vatira wanting more. His drive to be at a World Championship may be a reason he’s looking to team with Itachi and ExoTiiK under Karmine Corp.
ExoTiiK, on the other hand, was handed a much more difficult task for RLCS 2021-22. He was brought onto SMPR Esports to fill the shoes of star player Archie "archie" Pickthall. After a disastrous Winter and Spring, many believed the team wouldn’t even make it out of the Wildcard. However, ExoTiiK put on a show and helped the roster finish 9th-12th. His performance left ExoTiiK as one of the hottest free agents in the world when he departed from the organization.
The fact that Karmine Corp would go on to let noly and Aztral pursue other options was a surprise to most. With a top four at the Spring Major and a top eight at the World Championship under their belt, they had been an impressive team in their short time together. With these moves, two things become clear: Karmine Corp wants to win a World Championship, and they seem ready to take risks to assemble the roster they believe can go all the way.
If the roster move were to occur, the lineup for Karmine Corp for RLCS 22-23 will be:
🇫🇷 Brice "ExoTiiK" Bigeard
🇫🇷 Axel "Vatira" Touret
🇲🇦 Amine "itachi" Benayachi
