After a year marked by three consecutive fifth-place finishes in the LEC, GIANTX’s offseason wasn’t among the most eventful. The Spanish organization approached the transfer window with a clear plan: explore market opportunities, but preserve its main roster to aim for a Worlds qualification in 2026. Despite holding preliminary talks with other teams, GIANTX will head into the next season with the exact same starting five.

The only notable changes took place within the coaching staff. Head Coach André "Guilhoto" Guilhoto remains at the helm, while Nicolas Perez and Emanuel "Emi" Ursachi have departed. Rúben "Rhuckz" Barbosa, who joined during the Summer Split, has renewed for another year, and the team welcomes one new addition — Nubar “Maxlore” Sarafian, the former European jungler turned coach earlier in 2025.

Same roster, new staff

This lack of roster movement aligns perfectly with the team’s long-term vision. A year ago, following a major rebuild that brought in Eren "Lot" Yıldız, Oh “Noah” Hyeon-taek, Yoon "Jun" Se-jun, and Can "Closer" Çelik, Guilhoto told us that “the decisions we make are confirmed or backed up by data. It’s another source of analysis that helps guide our decisions and allows us to filter players more effectively.” The latest adjustments to the staff rather than the lineup reflect GIANTX’s ongoing trust in this model.

Ismaïl "ISMA" Boualem, who joined mid-year to replace Closer after the Winter Split, has since earned the full confidence of his head coach. “ISMA turned out to be a very good player. To me, he is the most improved player of this whole year,” Guilhoto shared at the end of the year. In this context, the roles of Rhuckz and Maxlore will be crucial. GIANTX have prioritized individual development, and that philosophy continues in 2026. Previously, Nicolas Perez worked closely with Adam "Jackies" Jeřábek and ISMA; Maxlore is expected to assume a similar role, bringing his perspective as a former pro, while Rhuckz will continue his work with Jun as he did over Summer.

The Jun saga

Even without roster changes, GIANTX played a quiet yet meaningful role in the LEC offseason market. The team was among the first to show interest in Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis but never made a concrete offer. More notably, GIANTX was at the center of one of the longest negotiation sagas of the window — Fnatic’s pursuit of Jun.

Fnatic explored multiple approaches, including a possible trade for Iván “Razork” Martín. However, the deal fell apart when Razork stated he would only join GIANTX if Jun stayed, which also fueled Fnatic’s determination to reunite the pair. After three proposals — the last reaching around €200,000 — GIANTX declined to sell, citing both competitive and timing issues, especially with alternatives like Han “Way” Gil already committed elsewhere.

In the end, keeping Jun was a deliberate strategic choice. GIANTX’s management believed that losing him would reinforce a direct rival and disrupt the team’s ongoing progress. By renewing their trust in the same lineup and coaching structure, the organization hopes to turn consistency into strength, aiming to break past fifth place and finally secure a Worlds berth in 2026.

GIANTX's reported 2026 LEC roster:

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.