Karmine Corp don't normally do things the quiet way, but the 2025 Birmingham Major was about as clinical a Major run as we've seen in years. In the Grand Final, KC swept The Ultimates 4-0 to lift the trophy at Resorts World Arena — the first international 3v3 title of the new season.
The Grand Final
The Ultimates' Cinderella run took them all the way from EU's middle tier to within striking distance of a Major. They earned every step of it. But in front of Karmine Corp's Vatira, Atow., and Itachi, on a stage clearly tilted toward the French side, that's where the run ended.
Four games. Four wins. The closest game on the board ended with a two-goal margin. The series featured exactly the kind of decisive, disciplined Rocket League that the eye test had been telegraphing for months — and the kind of follow-through we'd been waiting on since Karmine's 2024 Worlds exit.
For a Karmine Corp team that has been accused of cracking in finals, this was the cleanest possible answer. No tense Game 7. No middle-of-series wobble. Just a 4-0.
The 1v1 Major
Birmingham's other story is the one that's going to define a parallel conversation all year. France's Axel "Mawkzy" Timone defeated Brazil's Yan "yanxnz" Xisto Nolasco 4-3 in the Grand Final of the inaugural RLCS 1v1 Major.
The match itself was as wild as any 1v1 series gets — overtimes, blowouts, wild momentum swings. Mawkzy held his composure to take it in seven. He'll represent France at the 1v1 World Championship at Lyon-Décines in September.
1v1 takeaways
- 3v3 stardom does not automatically translate. Several "household name" 3v3 players exited their 1v1 brackets in the early rounds.
- SAM is real in 1v1. Yanxnz reaching the global final on debut, with diaz and others making deep runs in their region, is a clear signal South America is going to be a problem in the format.
- The 1v1 ceiling is different. The most-mechanical-player argument doesn't hold cleanly here — match management and shot selection become disproportionately important when there's no teammate to bail you out.
Top 8
- Karmine Corp — France/EU
- The Ultimates — EU
- Team Falcons — MENA
- Gentle Mates — EU
- Team BDS — EU
- NRG — NA
- Spacestation Gaming — NA
- Dignitas — EU
What this means for Raleigh
Karmine Corp now have the season's first 40 RLCS points and a massive lead heading into the second qualifying split. The Ultimates have just inserted themselves into the top-tier conversation, full stop. And every NA team has two months to figure out how to make sure Birmingham wasn't the high-water mark.
The Raleigh Major lands in June. See you for the preview.