EWC 2026: Karmine Corp Back in the Partner Program

Alongside the announcement in recent months, RFT had investigated the behind-the-scenes reasons for Karmine Corp's exclusion from the program, and it turned out that, in addition to the official reasons (limited competitive presence, French-speaking footprint…), the club's "optimized" management of the program's financial resources over previous years reportedly weighed against the club during the review of applications.

The paradox of a French identity turned asset

Where the French footprint of the club's fanbase was a hindrance in the perspective of a Saudi event with global ambitions, it suddenly becomes a central issue in the context of rumors of an EWC hosted on French soil.

Kameto's club boasts a massive fanbase within the country, an engagement capacity that remains without true equivalent in European esports, and proven event experience. Between the Adidas Arena, the Accor Arena, Paris La Défense Arena, and the Arènes d'Évry, the club stands out as an essential partner to bring the event to life for local audiences.

The slot freed up by Heroic

As the Esports Foundation had announced in a press release published on May 15th, Heroic's departure from the Partner Program paved the way for this reinstatement. The Norvegian organization, which no longer met the organizational conditions imposed by the program, agreed to withdraw.

One of the reasons justifying the withdrawal from the program is reportedly the discontinuation of their Dota 2 roster on May 5th, for reasons of financial sustainability.

What now?

The club now regains the benefits of the program, but within a calendar already underway. Some of the incentives planned for partner clubs have already been locked in over the first months of the year, but Karmine Corp, in a one on one deal should receive a substantial fraction of the allocation initially scheduled for a partner across the entire 2026 cycle.

The competitive calendar, however, is not modified, KC is already qualified for Rocket League, for which the club already holds its ticket as defending champion and just secured their League of Legends tickets with the win over MKOI.