Big news in League of Legends esports! The LEC will have a new team in the upcoming 2024 season. Its name might be familiar to some of you: Karmine Corp! One of France's most successful League of Legends teams will join the top league of the LoL EMEA circuit.
While we're all currently glued to our screens, watching the spectacle of the LoL Worlds 2023 in South Korea, something significant is happening in the LEC. On October 18, 2023, Riot Games announced that Karmine Corp would be taking over Astralis' LEC slot.
Over the past few weeks, rumors have been circulating that we'll see at least one new team in the LEC in 2024. With one team, we already have confirmation: Just a few months after their success at the EMEA Masters in Montpellier, KCorp is knocking on the door of the top league!
LEC: Karmine Corp Takes Over Astralis' Slot
Welcome to the #LEC, @KarmineCorp! pic.twitter.com/ifaPZZ1CkP
— LEC (@LEC) October 18, 2023
On Wednesday evening, the official announcement came: Karmine Corp will be playing in the LEC next season, the highest division in the EMEA region. However, KCorp won't be participating as the 11th team, as the organization has purchased Astralis' spot.
This also marks the end of Astralis' time in the LEC, an esports organization from Denmark that joined the league not that long ago in 2021 through a rebranding of Origen. Unfortunately, Astralis couldn't match the success of Origen and spent most of its time at the bottom of the LEC standings.
Maximilian Peter Schmidt, the Director of LoL Esports EMEA at Riot Games, had some fitting words to say farewell to Astralis:
Astralis has been a valued partner to us throughout its time in the LEC, and we wish the organisation the very best with its future endeavours.
Today, we bid farewell to the LEC. Thank you fans, players, staff, partners and everyone who has been a part of our journey.#ToTheStars pic.twitter.com/i7dXaQPaRn
— Astralis League of Legends (@AstralisLoL) October 18, 2023
With Karmine Corp, Astralis might have a truly formidable successor. The organization is an absolute powerhouse from the French LFL, which is arguably the best among the EMEA Regional Leagues alongside the Spanish Ultraliga.
KCorp didn't just make a name for themselves in France; the team has already won two Masters titles in 2022 and 2023, proving their ability to compete against international rivals.
What's particularly cool is the enthusiastic fanbase that Karmine Corp has built in recent years. It became clear again, especially during the EMEA Masters in the summer, that French fans are among the best in the world. Schmidt sums it up this way:
LEC fans have wanted to see the team in the league for some time now, which is in part, due to the incredible strength of the organisation's brand and its loyal and passionate fan base, something that has been showcased since its entry into the EMEA Masters ecosystem.
It's still quite a while before the 2024 LEC Season kicks off. Karmine will surely use this time to prepare the organization and, most importantly, the roster for the new, fierce competition. For us fans, the hype for next year has already reached a new level!
Haven't had enough of League of Legends yet? Check these out: