Karmine Corp Rejoins Esports World Cup Club Program

Karmine Corp has rejoined the Esports World Cup 2026 Club Program, taking the slot left open when HEROIC withdrew from the partnership on May 15. The Esports World Cup announced the change on its social media channels, stating HEROIC “no longer meets the requirements” following recent internal organizational changes.

HEROIC also shut down its Dota 2 roster around the same time. Neither HEROIC nor the Esports World Cup provided additional details about the organizational changes that led to the removal. The Club Partner Program now lists Karmine Corp among more than 40 participating organizations.

The initial 2026 partner list omitted several high-profile clubs, including FaZe Clan, LOUD, Gaimin Gladiators and Movistar KOI. Organizers invited other clubs such as Team Heretics and FUT Esports and added teams from South America and Southeast Asia. The full roster includes names such as 100 Thieves, Cloud9, Fnatic, G2 Esports, Team Liquid, T1, Team Vitality and Virtus.pro.

There have been unconfirmed reports that the Esports World Cup 2026 series could move from Riyadh to Paris, with sources citing security tensions in the Middle East. Organizers have not confirmed any venue change, and they have not linked Karmine Corp’s return to any venue planning.

Organizers have not offered an official explanation for the broader reshuffle or for why certain clubs were omitted from the initial partner list. The Club Partner Program is described by organizers as a mechanism to include global and regional teams in the Esports World Cup 2026 ecosystem.