A few waves among e-sport supporters, even before calling it quits. The Karmine Corp (also abbreviated KCorp or KC) community was shaken this week by the revelations of an investigation by the Revue XXIwhich reports conflicts between the club’s leaders. But the most active fans of French esports do not want to let this controversy spoil the KCX, the club’s big event halfway between show, concert and exhibition match, which takes place this Saturday at La Défense Arena.
“When I saw that, I said to myself: ‘It still sucks.’ “, grumbles Tahzio, KCorp fan. “That” is a long article in which the investigative magazine looks back on the origins of KCorp, as well as a conflict between two co-founders of the club: “Kameto”, whose real name is Kamel Kebir, and “Prime », aka Amine Mekri. The publication notably claims that the latter used KC’s money for personal expenses, and played on the club’s reputation to obtain funding for his own activities. This all caused tensions, which have since been partially resolved thanks to the recruitment of a director, Arthur Perticoz.
Long-time fans
Like all fans interviewed, Tahzio started by following Kameto on Twitch. For him, it was in 2017, “at the time of Fortnite with Gotaga. He began to take an interest in Karmine when this team created by the videographer in 2020, rose, after a year of existence, to the LFL, the French championship of League of Legends.
“Being able to support a team and vibe together with your favorite streamer is great,” says Sam, who has followed Kameto since its very beginnings, on the Eclypsia web tv. You can follow e-sports competitions, and doing it with Kamel is a bonus. » But the craze has grown well beyond the streamer. “Very quickly, it went beyond Kameto, and I became attached to the team, to the players,” explains Ferdinand, who also began to follow the exploits of Karmine in the LFL. Today, I enjoy watching KCorp matches more than French football team matches. »
Supporterism and storytelling
And when the Blue Wall – the team’s ultra supporters – moves, the atmosphere has nothing to do with football matches. “This atmosphere is French pride,” describes Tahzio. When people come to our house there is always noise, singing, we know how to encourage. It’s the DNA of the club. » “There was real enthusiasm from the community, all pushed by Kamel who repeated on stream that he loves the football stadium atmosphere,” adds Sam. The CEO of G2 [une équipe e-sport européenne]spoke about it to say that fans have a new way to support their team since the arrival of KCorp in the LEC [le championnat européen]. »
For many fans, the KCX provides a meeting point and a concrete outlet for all this passion. “I went to KCX3 without knowing what to expect, I was shocked by the atmosphere of the stadium, the fervor and the passion,” remembers Ferdinand. I was screaming at other games that I barely understood, I had no voice for three days. It made me feel like I was at a World Cup. » Last year, this meeting brought together 28,000 people at the Défense Arena.
But shouting together isn’t everything. “We have codes and a culture of supporterism from football, but also unique specificities,” explains Tahzio. The narrative is very important in e-sport in general, we approach a bit of a league like wrestling. And KC has an art of storytelling that is not found elsewhere. » The small French club, founded by a child from Corbeil-Essonnes, who climbs the ranks while waiting to one day win the Worlds, it’s the stuff of dreams. “What we are building is a Disney of e-sport,” described Arthur Perticoz to XXI.
“I was afraid the event would be cancelled”
So, when Revue XXI released its investigation on Monday, the community was saddened by this change in atmosphere. Some even see it as a desire to cause harm, five days before the high mass. “At the beginning there was a little anger, a reflex of “clubism”. I was afraid the event would be canceled, admits Tahzio. Then, I realized that it was important that we learn this information, especially on the business side which is very present in e-sport. We suspected there was something going on with Prime, but we didn’t know what: does he want to withdraw from the project? Did he argue with Kameto? The article put words to things that we saw a little. » “My whole timeline was only talking about that,” adds Ferdinand. It’s saddening about the club’s situation. It’s a very opaque environment, prone to cronyism, so it’s interesting that investigative journalism is looking into it. This allows us to understand that it is a very big structure, and not just football matches. League of Legends. »
In the middle of this controversy: Prime. “The factual points that I have been accused of are linked to my poor communication and my learning errors on the business side,” he explains in a press release. I have apologized numerous times since 2022 and we have taken steps to adjust these points internally. » Arguments that struggle to convince an already suspicious community. “In the community, there is overwhelming support for Kameto. For me, Prime doesn’t have a good reputation, whispers Tazio. When they joined forces, it worried me a little, and this investigation confirms my bad image of him. » “We can still see that it affected Kamel a lot, the whole scene lined up behind him and supported him,” Sam agrees. On the contrary, Prime’s response on stream sounded “false” and unconvincing. I was sad for Kamel. »
Now, KCorp fans are only dreading what might happen if Prime appears on stage at KCX4 on Saturday (even though he was absent at the previous one). “I don’t want to send a bad image of KCorp, I don’t want Prime to be pushed around or insulted,” wishes Tahzio. I hate it when the team suffers from a toxic image. But on the contrary, I hope that communication will be well managed, and that it will be an even more emotional afternoon, with a banner of support for Kameto. […] The party will be even more beautiful. »
