Sources: GRUBINHO, ara and Flickless to Remain with GIANTX for 2026

Eduard-George “ara” Hanceriuc, Karel “Flickless” Maeckelbergh, and Grzegorz “GRUBINHO” Ryczko will continue with GIANTX for another year in VCT EMEA. According to Sheep Esports sources, the organization has indeed exercised a contract clause that extends the players' tenure. The decision reflects the success of the bold roster moves GIANTX made throughout the 2025 season.

After a disastrous start at the Kickoff and three consecutive defeats to open Stage 1, GIANTX overhauled its roster, bringing in UCAM Esports duo ara and Flickless in mid-April. While the move came too late to salvage Stage 1, the rebuild continued with the signing of GRUBINHO ahead of Stage 2.

The changes proved decisive: against all expectations, GIANTX surged to the grand final of the regional VALORANT elite, knocking out reigning champions Fnatic along the way. More importantly, the run secured the team a spot at Champions Paris, where they advanced past the Group Stage, notably defeating Sentinels. The mid-season trio has thus been instrumental in reshaping the team, and it comes as little surprise that GIANTX intends to build its future on these now-solid foundations.

ara emerged as one of the biggest revelations of the split, ranking among the league’s top Duelists. Statistically, he was GIANTX’s best-performing player in Stage 2, posting an average rating 2.0 of 1.05, an ACS of 216.7, and a K/D of 1.12. “I feel more mature now in how I see the game and how I speak in-game. I’m always trying to be supportive: if we lose a round, I’m supportive; if we win, I’m still supportive. I think I bring a lot of energy and good vibes,” he told Sheep Esports.

Flickless also stood out in his debut VCT season. The Belgian Initiator was pivotal to the team’s resurgence in Stage 2, particularly with his performances on Breach. Although his yearly stats are less representative since he joined midway through the season, he still closed Stage 2 with the second-highest assists per round in the league (0.46).

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub.You can also follow every confirmed move and leak throughout the offseason with our Offseason Tracker.