As reported by L'Équipe, Karmine Corp, France’s leading esports club, is in advanced talks to establish its basketball team. The organization is set to collaborate with RAC Basket de Rueil-Malmaison, a team currently playing in Nationale 2, along with Grand Paris Sud and Évry-Courcouronnes.

A new horizon for KC?

Karmine Corp, known for its meteoric rise in esports, could soon expand beyond gaming. The club is reportedly working on a four-way alliance with RAC Basket, Grand Paris Sud, and Évry-Courcouronnes, where KC is already a resident club at the Arènes. Talks have been ongoing for months with the National Basketball League (LNB), according to L'Équipe. RAC Basket, which played in Nationale 1—the third tier of French basketball and the last professional level—until last season, was relegated due to financial difficulties after losing municipal funding.

Founded in 2020 by Kamel "Kameto" Kebir and Amine "Prime" Mekri, Karmine Corp has built a massive following through esports, competing in League of Legends, Rocket League, and VALORANT. However, this potential basketball venture would mark its first step into traditional sports. When contacted by L'Équipe, KC confirmed “positive discussions and a shared desire to leap from esports to traditional sports for the first time,” but clarified that “nothing is finalized yet.”

Évry-Courcouronnes Mayor Stéphane Beaudet also acknowledged the discussions, calling them “constructive.” While nothing is set in stone, KC fans may soon have another team to cheer for—this time, on the basketball court.

The link between sports and esports

Several sports clubs have bridged the gap between traditional sports and esports. FC Schalke 04 Esports, the former esports division of the German football club, once competed in the LEC, the top tier of European League of Legends—the same league where Karmine Corp’s top team currently plays. Even today, sports clubs like Barça eSports and Eintracht Frankfurt compete in various ERLs.

While many examples exist across different esports, the trend has predominantly been sports clubs expanding into esports, not the other way around. If Karmine Corp were to finalize a deal, it would mark a historic first—an esports organization building its own traditional sports team.