Karmine Corp Rebuilds Around M0nkey M00n and Two 16-Year-Old Prodigies After Parting Ways With Vatira and Atow for RLCS 2027
A defining era of European Rocket League officially came to a close this week. One day after confirming the simultaneous departures of Axel "Vatira" Touret, Tristan "Atow" Soyez, and Charles "juicy" Sabiani, French powerhouse Karmine Corp unveiled its revamped lineup for the RLCS 2027 season on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
Rather than chasing another expensive all-star lineup, the Blue Wall is pivoting toward a high-upside youth movement anchored by two-time World Champion Evan "M0nkey M00n" Rogez, who will captain and mentor two 16-year-old mechanical prodigies: Attila "bibbaba" Eötvös and reyyn.
The End of the Vatira Era After Four Years and a Paris Major Crown
For four straight seasons, Vatira was the undisputed heartbeat of Karmine Corp's Rocket League division. He departs the club after a memorable 2026 campaign highlighted by a triumphant trophy lift in front of home fans at the RLCS Paris Major and a Top 4 finish at the Rocket League World Championship.
His longtime Belgian teammate Atow also closes a three-year chapter in blue after capturing three international LAN trophies alongside Vatira, including the 2025 Esports World Cup. As confirmed earlier this week, both stars have teamed up with French phenomenon Alexis "zen" Bernier to form Gentle Mates' new RLCS 2027 superteam, while juicy heads to Geekay Esports alongside Seikoo and mtzr.
"Some goodbyes hurt more than others. Thank you to juicy, who joined the club last year and established himself as a pillar of the squad despite a demanding role, and thank you to Atow for three unforgettable years."
M0nkey M00n and Extra Reunite Four Years After Their 2022 World Title
To lead this full-scale rebuild without sacrificing championship pedigree, Karmine Corp brought Evan "M0nkey M00n" Rogez back to a French organization. After spending the 2026 season competing in the MENA region with Saudi organization Twisted Minds, where he reached the Grand Final of the Paris Major against Karmine Corp, the two-time World Champion (2022 and 2024) steps in as team captain.
Even more significantly, the move triggers a storied reunion behind the scenes. Despite offseason discussions to follow Vatira and Atow to Gentle Mates, 24-year-old French head coach Alexandre "Extra" Paoli chose to remain at the helm of Karmine Corp's coaching staff.
Back in the 2021-2022 season, M0nkey M00n and Extra conquered the RLCS World Championship together in Fort Worth under the Team BDS banner. Four years later, the former championship duo is back under the same roof, combining M0nkey M00n's on-pitch leadership with Extra's tactical structure to mold two teenage prospects.
Meet bibbaba and reyyn: Two 16-Year-Old Rookies Thrown Into the Deep End
Much like Team Vitality's sweeping RLCS 2027 roster overhaul following zen's exit, Karmine Corp is betting heavily on raw mechanical ceiling by signing two 16-year-old newcomers:
- Attila "bibbaba" Eötvös (16, Hungary): one of Europe's most sought-after rising stars, the Hungarian teenager turned heads throughout the 2026 circuit with multiple Top 8 finishes in European Open events and a standout Top 6 run at the European Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ).
- reyyn (16, France): a French mechanical standout from the 1v1 and bubble scene who became the centerpiece of a massive fan campaign under the #KCREYYN2027 hashtag. Remarkably, the 16-year-old prodigy has never played a single RLCS Main Event in his career prior to signing with Karmine Corp.
Trial by Fire at the London Copper Box Arena in December
Neither rookie will get the luxury of easing into top-tier competition through online qualifiers. Because Karmine Corp holds partner status in the new RLCS Club Championship 2027 circuit, M0nkey M00n, bibbaba, and reyyn will make their official debut straight at a 24-team international LAN.
Their baptism of fire takes place in December 2026 at London's Copper Box Arena during the RLCS Kick-Off Weekend. With the revamped 2027 calendar operating without a traditional year-end World Championship, Karmine Corp has the ideal runway to develop its young duo against the world's elite.
My Take
When you lose the franchise player who defined your club for four years to your fiercest domestic rival, the worst mistake you can make is overpaying aging veterans just to save face. By refusing to panic-buy and instead pairing M0nkey M00n's championship pedigree and Extra's tactical mind with two hungry 16-year-old mechanical freaks, Karmine Corp made the smartest pivot available on the market.
Throwing reyyn straight into a 24-team international LAN at the Copper Box Arena when he has never played a single RLCS Main Event is a massive gamble. Still, if there is one duo in Europe capable of turning raw teenage mechanics into a LAN-winning unit, it is the pair that built the Team BDS dynasty in 2022.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles "Grimtag" is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
