Karmine Corp survive five-game battle against Cloud9 in Worlds 2026 opener

Karmine Corp survive five-game battle against Cloud9 in Worlds 2026 opener

Karmine Corp 3:2 Cloud9

Karmine Corp opened their League of Legends World Championship 2026 campaign with a 3–2 victory over Cloud9 in the Play-In upper-bracket semifinals in Los Angeles.

The European representatives recovered from a 1–2 series deficit, winning the final two games to advance in the upper bracket.

Cloud9 dominate opening game

Cloud9 began the series with a commanding performance, winning Game 1 with a 20–1 kill score.

The North American squad maintained its momentum in Game 2 and appeared capable of taking a 2–0 lead.

However, Karmine Corp found a crucial teamfight that allowed them to turn the game around and destroy Cloud9 's Nexus, leveling the series.

Cloud9 reach match point

Cloud9 recovered in Game 3, producing another dominant performance to win with a 22–5 kill score.

The victory gave Cloud9 a 2–1 series advantage and placed them one game away from advancing.

However, Karmine Corp responded with a 15–6 victory in Game 4, forcing a deciding fifth game.

Karmine Corp complete comeback

The European team maintained its momentum in Game 5, securing a 17–8 kill score to complete the 3–2 victory.

Caliste was named the series' standout player by BO3, recording a weighted average of 3.9 kills, 2.5 deaths and 4.6 assists.

The result sends Karmine Corp into the Play-In upper-bracket final, while Cloud9 drop into the lower bracket.

Karmine Corp will next face MVK Esports , with the winner moving one step closer to the Worlds Swiss stage.