Karmine Corp unveils full lineup for 2026 VCT EMEA season

French powerhouse Karmine Corp has officially announced their roster for the 2026 VCT EMEA season, fielding a revamped lineup built around rising talent and championship experience. The organization revealed the signings of Burak “LewN” Alkan, Zhumagali “dos9” Dastan, and Bogdan “sheydos” Naumov, while retaining star players Hazem “Avez” Khaled and Dmitry “SUYGETSU” Ilyushin from their 2025 campaign. The coaching staff remains unchanged with Andrey “ENGH” Sholokhov continuing as head coach alongside Ahmed “ZE1SH” El Sheikh.

LewN and dos9 Join After Breakout Year with BBL and BOOM

LewN departs BBL Esports following a promising rookie campaign in 2025. The Turkish duelist showcased flashes of brilliance throughout the year, helping BBL compete at the highest levels of EMEA despite falling barely short of international qualification. While BBL failed to break through to an international event, they remained competitive in both Stage 1 and Stage 2 playoffs, coming agonizingly close to securing their spot on the global stage. Now, LewN brings that hunger and firepower to a Karmine Corp roster desperate to translate talent into results.

Joining LewN is dos9, the Kazakh controller who spent 2025 with BOOM Esports in the Pacific region. Like LewN, dos9 experienced a breakout rookie season that saw him emerge as one of Southeast Asia’s most promising young talents. His intelligent gameplay and consistent fragging ability made him BOOM’s cornerstone throughout the year, even as the Indonesian organization fell just short of their international aspirations. BOOM’s 2025 campaign mirrored BBL’s trajectory: competitive domestically but unable to overcome the final hurdle at Ascension Pacific. Despite strong showings in both Pacific stages, BOOM narrowly missed qualification to international events.

Such an effective interdimensional device 🤓

Our team for the 2026 #VCTEMEA season:

🇪🇬 @AvezValo
🇷🇺 @suygetsu
🇰🇿 @dos9gg
🇹🇷 @LewNvlr
🇷🇺 @Sheydosk1ng

🇷🇺 @ENGHHHHHH (HC)
🇪🇬 🇫🇷 @ZE1SHH (C)

Presented by @RazerFrance pic.twitter.com/q8Ra8tIBab

— Karmine Corp ENG (@KarmineCorpENG) January 7, 2026

The Return of a Champion: sheydos Joins KC

The most storied addition to the roster is sheydos, whose competitive pedigree dates back to the earliest days of VALORANT. The Russian veteran achieved legendary status in 2021 as a member of Gambit Esports, capturing the Masters Berlin trophy and finishing as runner-up at Champions that same year.

He reunites with ENGH, who was also the coach for Gambit during this era. However, the past three years with KOI proved challenging for the former champion. After the dissolution of M3 Champions in 2022, sheydos joined KOI in 2023. Despite his individual talent, the team struggled to find consistency, finishing in the lower half of EMEA standings across multiple stages. KOI benched sheydos midway through the 2025 season following disappointing results in Kickoff and Stage 1, effectively ending his tenure with the organization.

After announcing his intention to return from a competitive break, sheydos now gets a fresh start with Karmine Corp. His championship experience and veteran leadership could prove invaluable for a young roster seeking direction, though questions remain about whether he can recapture the form that made him a Masters MVP contender four years ago.

The two returnees from Karmine Corp’s 2025 roster represent the foundation upon which this new project is built. Avez, who will reportedly take on increased in-game leading responsibilities according to head coach ENGH, emerged as one of EMEA’s top flex players throughout 2025.

SUYGETSU’s retention was equally unsurprising. The former FunPlus Phoenix and Natus Vincere star brought championship pedigree when he joined Karmine Corp for 2025, and despite the team’s collective struggles, his individual performances remained at an elite level.

A Disappointing 2025 Season and Gearing Up for 2026

The decision to make sweeping changes came after Karmine Corp’s 2025 campaign fell dramatically short of expectations. After bringing in world champion in-game leader Saadhak from LOUD and assembling what appeared to be a competitive roster, the organization set their sights on qualifying for Champions Paris: a home event that would have allowed them to play in front of their legendary fanbase. Instead, Karmine Corp spent the year hovering around the middle of the pack in EMEA standings. They finished seventh-eighth in both Stage 1 and Stage 2 playoffs, never seriously threatening the top teams in the region. The dream of playing at Champions Paris evaporated long before the tournament began, leaving the organization and its passionate supporters devastated.

Karmine Corp’s 2026 roster represents a fascinating blend of youth, experience, and potential. On paper, the individual talent is undeniable, LewN and dos9 bring explosive playmaking ability, sheydos adds championship pedigree, while Avez and SUYGETSU provide proven consistency at the highest level. Head coach ENGH, whose tactical innovations have earned respect across the region, will be tasked with molding these pieces into a cohesive unit.

The organization has already fielded this lineup during the Project Blender offseason tournament, where they went undefeated in the group stage before falling to Team Vitality in the quarterfinals. Karmine Corp’s first official test arrives on January 20 when they face Natus Vincere in the opening round of EMEA Kickoff.  For an organization that has endured three consecutive years of major roster overhauls and disappointment, 2026 represents both an opportunity.

Karmine Corp’s 2026 VCT Roster:

• Hazem “Avez” Khaled
• Dmitry “SUYGETSU” Ilyushin
• Burak “LewN” Alkan
• Bogdan “sheydos” Naumov
• Zhumagali “dos9” Dastan
• Andrey “ENGH” Sholokhov (Head Coach)
• Ahmed “ZE1SH” El Sheikh (Coach)