Karmine Corp kept their League of Legends World Championship 2026 campaign alive after securing a 2-0 victory over CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO) in their fourth-round Swiss Stage encounter on Thursday, October 29. The result eliminated CFO from the competition and left the French organisation one series away from qualifying for the quarter-finals.
The best-of-three encounter began at 20:05 local time, with Karmine Corp needing just two games to complete the victory. They dominated the opening contest, recording 18 kills against CFO's three to take the game in 28 minutes. The second game lasted 37 minutes before KC eventually secured the series and improved their position in the tournament.
The victory was particularly important for Karmine Corp after consecutive defeats in the previous two rounds. Having started their Swiss Stage campaign with a win over Anyone's Legend, they subsequently lost to LYON and Bilibili Gaming, leaving them under pressure to avoid elimination. Their triumph over CFO restored their qualification hopes and moved them to a 2-2 match record.
CFO, meanwhile, entered the encounter as the higher-seeded team and had the advantage of choosing their side for the opening game. However, that privilege did little to change the outcome as Karmine Corp controlled proceedings and eventually completed a convincing series victory.
The defeat brought CTBC Flying Oyster's participation in Worlds 2026 to an end, marking their third match loss in the Swiss Stage. They had initially opened the competition with a victory against Team Liquid before suffering defeats against Movistar KOI, T1 and Karmine Corp.
Riot Games' Swiss Stage format allows teams to qualify for the knockout rounds after securing three match victories, while three defeats result in elimination. CFO's departure means the League of Legends Championship Pacific (LCP) will no longer have a representative in the tournament.
Karmine Corp had previously faced CFO during the knockout stage of First Stand 2025, where the European side also emerged victorious after a closely contested 3-2 series.
Karmine Corp will now turn their attention to Saturday's final Swiss Stage round, where another best-of-three encounter awaits them. With their record standing at two victories and two defeats, they must win their next series to secure a place in the quarter-finals. Another loss would end their Worlds campaign.
The French organisation earned their place in the Swiss Stage through the Play-In competition, where they defeated Cloud9 in a five-game encounter before recording convincing 3-0 victories over MVK Esports in the upper-bracket final and grand final.
Their current roster features Canna, Yike, Busio, Caliste and Kyeahoo, who will need another strong performance to keep their championship ambitions alive.
The final Swiss Stage fixtures will take place in Allen, Texas, with Karmine Corp's next opponent to be determined after the remaining fourth-round matches. A successful result would send them into the knockout stage, which will feature the tournament's eight remaining contenders.
The 2026 League of Legends World Championship carries a total prize pool of $5 million, with $1 million reserved for the eventual champions. The grand final is scheduled for November 14 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with proceedings expected to begin at 19:00 UTC.
For Karmine Corp, the immediate objective is securing one more victory. After recovering from two consecutive defeats and eliminating CFO, the French team now have an opportunity to reach the Worlds quarter-finals for the first time in their campaign.
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