After a tumultuous start to the VCT EMEA season, cracks are beginning to appear in the Karmine Corp foundations after Alexis “Newzera” Humbert informed the organization of his “wish to step down” from the active VALORANT roster.
Following the official announcement from KC today, the team’s captain Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom posted a lengthy response on Twitter, with an implication that Newzera has “abandoned” the team mid-competition. ScreaM also disclosed that he is “delegating” the in-game leader role to assistant coach Ahmed “ZE1SH” El Sheikh, who is stepping into the starting roster per VCT rules regarding mid-split player changes.
In his post (translated from French to English), ScreaM reflects on a moment in time during his days with Team Liquid when “one of our teammates abandons the team within a competition.” Many assume this is a reference to his former Liquid teammate Travis “L1NK” Mendoza, whom ScreaM had critical words for when he was moved to the bench back in the summer of 2022. In an interview with Yinsu Collins back then, ScreaM asked “What can you say when someone just loses the motivation and drive to play as a professional?”
But Scream’s post today implies that there was a serious issue regarding cohesion, writing that “all is lost” when “a link that does not attach to the chain.” Anyone who’s watched Karmine Corp during this split has noticed that cohesion has definitely been an issue, with the team struggling with basic coordination when it comes to buying before rounds and mid-round calls.
Related: VCT EMEA 2023: VALORANT scores, schedule, format, and standings
As this roster change has occurred during the split, Karmine Corp will likely have to play out the rest of the season with ZE1SH in the starting roster, given that he was listed as the official substitute. KC are currently 1-3 and take on NAVI next.
