Karmine Corp ended their World Championship journey after falling 1-3 to T1 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 LoL World Championship (Worlds) on November 7 (KST) at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas. Despite a strong performance led by Kim "Canna" Chang-dong, Karmine Corp's bot lane crumbled under the carrying power of the "Peyz-Keria" duo, and they were ultimately unable to overcome the deficit.
Speaking with Inven after the match, Head Coach Bok Han-gyu reflected on concluding the year, stating, "The biggest factor in our loss was the game-deciding teamfights. T1 was sharper than us in those moments." He added, "It was not an easy journey, but coming all the way from the Play-In Stage to the quarterfinals, the players learned a lot and grew tremendously. We also established a clear direction for further improvement. It was a season where we gained a great deal."
Below is the full interview with Karmine Corp Head Coach Bok Han-gyu.
Q. Today's match concludes your Worlds journey. How do you feel?
I think it was not an easy journey. Starting from the Play-In Stage and reaching the quarterfinals, the players grew so much, learned a lot, and experienced a great deal. While it's disappointing to end in the quarterfinals, I believe both the players and I can use this experience as nourishment to move forward.
Q. Against T1, what parts of the game didn't go as planned?
First of all, the biggest factor was the 'game-deciding teamfights.' In crucial, game-deciding moments, T1 was sharper than us. In Game 1 and Game 4, during the third and fourth teamfights around the 20-minute mark, both teams made mistakes, and the situation fluctuated. I think failing to execute plays closer to the ideal answer in those moments led to gold deficits that ultimately resulted in losses.
Still, in Game 3, Karmine Corp won while displaying your trademark solid macro play.
Setting aside Game 2 due to the severe early accident, I think we performed reasonably well within our circumstances in Game 1 and Game 2. In terms of map play and movement, we were fully able to keep up. Picking a low-mobility composition featuring Ashe, Seraphine, and Xin Zhao in Game 3 was because we were confident that even with such a draft, we could handle the map play.
When preparing for Game 4, we drafted Xayah-Rakan early because we thought we could gain an upper hand in that aspect. We believed that even if the bot lane matchup was unfavorable, we could minimize our losses through map play and maneuver through the game. In fact, despite being at a disadvantage during the laning phase in Game 4, we caught up and took it to teamfights, but ultimately, it came down to a difference in teamfighting once again.
Q. During the Play-In Stage, we had the chance to interview 'kyeahoo' Kang Yea-hoo, and he mentioned that your help was crucial in adapting to his first year in the LEC. From your perspective as coach, what kind of player was 'kyeahoo' this year?
Looking at kyeahoo, I can really feel how much he has improved in terms of gameplay. I think he was one of the most core players for Karmine Corp this year. He clearly understands the plays he needs to make, creating space, and his role in teamfights on his own, which helped the team immensely. Looking back, he has gotten incomparably better compared to when he first arrived, improving relentlessly all year long. I trust he will do even better moving forward.
Q. Looking back at Karmine Corp's year, the team achieved major milestones such as finishing as runners-up at EWC and going undefeated in the Summer Regular Season, while also overcoming playoff ups and downs through a bootcamp before Worlds. It seems like a season with a wealth of experiences.
This year was truly tough. The team's inconsistency was severe. When we played well, we were amazing, but when we played poorly, we were really bad, and that swung back and forth periodically rather than remaining steady. Even when we went undefeated in the regular season, there were ups and downs. There were games we won that we should have lost. So we spent a lot of time contemplating and working hard to figure out where those issues stemmed from and how to overcome them.
Looking back, it was hard, but I think we did everything we could. The players put in a tremendous amount of effort as well. Ending in the quarterfinals is disappointing, but starting from the Play-In Stage and coming all the way here while facing world-class players, I believe they proved what they are capable of. Since we also firmly established a direction to become better, it was a season where we gained a lot.
Q. As you mentioned, it feels like a team that inspires even higher expectations for next year. Do you have plans for the upcoming season?
For now, rather than thinking about next season, I just want to enter the offseason and get some rest. Comparing it to the past, back then it was just Spring, Summer, MSI, and Worlds. But now, the league has expanded to three splits, and new international tournaments have been introduced. Assuming a team participates in every tournament, the break in between is barely around a week. There were times we rested for just two days before preparing for the next season.
I feel it getting tighter with each passing year. Of course, participating in every tournament means our results were good, which is great, but getting used to such a grueling schedule never seems to happen. Having sprinted without a breather all year long, I think we should clear our heads, regain peace of mind, and then prepare step-by-step for next year. Right now, it's just too early (laughs).
