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Karmine Corp has made a decisive move after a brutal VCT EMEA 2026 Stage 1: head coach Engh is out, and assistant coach ZE1SH steps up to lead the team. Here's what changed, why it matters, and what KC needs to do before Stage 2 kicks off in July.
Source: Riot Games / Liquipedia
Karmine Corp went 0-5 in VCT EMEA Stage 1, the worst possible result in a region where every game matters. They had already struggled in Kickoff (1-3), so the winless Stage 1 run wasn't a complete shock, but it confirmed the team was stuck in a real performance rut đ.
For context, FUT and FNATIC clinched playoff spots while KC couldn't string together a single win. The gap was clear, and the org had to act.
Head coach Andrey "Engh" Sholokhov stepped down on May 1, taking full accountability for the team's results. His statement was direct: "Someone should be responsible, and it's me. It's as simple as that. It was an amazing time, to be honest. A lot of good and bad things happened, especially recently as you can see. I feel like right now it's very important for our club to have some new approach, new system, new kind of vision."
That kind of honesty from a coach is rare. Engh isn't pointing fingers at players or management, he's owning the situation and stepping aside to give KC a real shot at a turnaround. Respect where it's due.
Ahmed "ZE1SH" El Sheikh isn't a random hire, he's been in the KC ecosystem for a while. His coaching background includes stints at L'Institut, Anubis Gaming, and Team Vitality (2021). He joined KC as assistant coach and even stepped in as a player for eight matches when the team needed him.
ZE1SH knows this roster inside out. He's seen the preparation, the in-game comms, and the mental state of the team from the inside. That continuity matters when you have less than two months before Stage 2 starts.
Source: VLR.gg
His first public statement as head coach sets the tone: "I know you have doubts, of course, with the results we've had, and that's normal. We accept criticism and even understand. I'm going to do my best to prove you wrong and show you that I have a positive impact on the team." đ¯
The transition from assistant to head coach is always tricky, but ZE1SH has a few real advantages here.
Strategic refresh. A new head coach means new prep cycles, new map vetoes, and potentially different agent compositions. The EMEA meta shifts fast and Engh's read on it wasn't delivering wins. ZE1SH has the chance to reset how the team approaches every matchup.
Communication reset. Players respond differently to different voices. With ZE1SH already embedded in the team culture, he can push changes without the friction of a complete overhaul. Sometimes a small shift in how feedback is delivered makes a huge difference in mid-game decision-making.
Player confidence. SUYGETSU, Sheydos, and the rest of the KC roster are talented, but 0 wins grinds morale down hard. A fresh voice in the headset, someone who genuinely believes in the players' potential, can unlock performance that the old system was suppressing.
KC has roughly two months before Stage 2 opens. That's tight but workable, especially if ZE1SH moves fast on the fundamentals. The VCT 2026 Stage 1 groups overview gives the full context on where teams stand and what seeding looks like going into Stage 2.
A coaching change mid-season is never ideal, but for KC it was necessary. The org has one of the most passionate fanbases in EMEA, and that pressure cuts both ways: it can suffocate a struggling team, or it can fuel a comeback when the right leadership is in place đĨ.
Stage 2 is where KC proves whether this reset was enough. For now, all eyes are on ZE1SH.
Want to prove you belong at the top too? Compete in Valorant ranked ladders on Amber.gg and climb the leaderboard while the pros prep for Stage 2.
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