“We want to show that we are one of the biggest clubs in the world”

Two months before his third birthday, and a week after his fourth European title in the game League of LegendsKarmine Corp is organizing its third Karmine Corp Experience, the KCX3, this Saturday, September 16, at Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre.

After a first edition, coming out of Covid, at the Carrousel du Louvre, and a second edition at the Accor Hotel Arena in Bercy, the French club, known for its community of close-knit and excited fans – the blue wall – reached a peak for French esports. Between 28,000 and 29,000 people are expected in the room, in an electric atmosphere for a show which combines video game matches, concerts and announcements on the future of the club. It’s a success story for the two founders, the YouTuber and rapper Prime, and the streamer Kameto. But they don’t plan to stop there. Interview with the club’s CEO, Arthur Perticoz.

franceinfo: Bringing together nearly 30,000 people at the La Défense Arena, what does that mean for Karmine Corp?

Arthur Perticoz: Filling Paris La Défense Arena is still quite exceptional. This is something that only the greatest artists can do, that only the greatest professional sports clubs can do. So getting to this point is a huge source of pride for all of us at Karmine Corp, mainly for the founders, for Kameto, for Prime, who put this together from scratch, from bits and pieces, until to bring together 28,000 people, it’s quite phenomenal.

You fill ever larger rooms. Where will you stop?

It’s true that the growth in the rooms we fill is quite phenomenal. First a few thousand people, then Bercy, 12,000 seats, and now Paris La Défense Arena, where there will be 28,000 to 29,000 people. The club is only three years old in November 2023. So it’s extremely fast, extremely crazy acceleration, and we’re wondering where’s next.

Is there a limit, is there an end to all this? The advantage here is that we have a room that allowed us to test things, since it can accommodate 20,000 to 40,000 people. We realize today that we are capable of 29,000, but who knows, maybe one day we will be able to build a stadium like the Parc des Princes or the Stade de France?

What is a successful esports show for Karmine Corp?

For me, a successful esports show, but in general a simple show, is something that stands out, that we remember. There’s nothing worse than going to the movies, a concert, an event and forgetting six months later that you were there. So what we want is to make a lasting impression. And even more so because it is an event that brings together the entire Karmine family: fans, players, players’ families, agents, game publishers, competitors, families of the founders…

So we really want it to be a memorable memory. I would like at the end to ask ourselves if we are capable of doing better? Because that would mean that we experienced something wonderful, and that opens up exceptional adventures for the future.

The KCXs are quite unique in the world of esports or sporting events. What are they for you?

The KCX is truly something unique since to date, we are almost the only club in the world to be able to afford it. In France and Europe, we are the only ones to dare, and even more so with this size. 28,000 people, it’s the biggest event in the world. For us, the goal is really to bring the community together. So it’s a marker.

We know that love lasts three years. The club is three years old. And we want at the end of this event, people to say to themselves: “Ok my love doesn’t last three years, it will go on and on.” It’s a powerful moment, a poignant moment.

“It’s also a statement to the industry: ‘Yes, it’s possible, Karmine Corp can do it’. We want to show that we are one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

Arthur Perticoz, CEO of Karmine Corp

at franceinfo

Where is Karmine Corp in its evolution process?

Karmine has had two phenomenal years. The first two years of growth were crazy, so fast! From nothing, to something that is probably the most dazzling item in modern esports history. And that is why the third year, the one we are currently finishing, was a year of stabilization to lay foundations, to solidify, to consolidate, to ensure that we will be able to take another step forward in the next years.

This allowed us to ensure that working with or for Karmine was even more pleasant, even more solid, that people had answers to their questions, that fans saw and felt a significant evolution on the subjects that concern them: merchandising, events, but also performance. And all this will unlock a certain number of things for us, which we will be able to announce during this Karmine Corp Experience 3.