LEC 2026 - GIANTX: Keep Growing Together (8/10)

The splits kept coming and looking remarkably similar for GIANTX last season, leaving the Spanish organization with a lingering sense of unfinished business. Across three splits, the team finished fifth/sixth every time, unable to break into the top four or secure qualification for international events. Despite being described as an exceptionally strong team in scrims, official matches proved far more challenging.

Yet the organization’s confidence in its roster did not weaken; quite the opposite, in fact. GIANTX chose to retain the same lineup for next season despite a few movements during the offseason. At a time when many teams in a similar situation decided to strengthen their squads, GX are betting on stability and hope that this approach will allow them to disrupt the hierarchy established by the top four.

After deciding to build around midlaner Adam "Jackies" Jeřábek, this year is considered the project’s first true year. The organization intends to continue in this direction, shaping the team around the vision of Head Coach André "Guilhoto" Guilhoto. This is what David "Lozark" Alonso Vicente, the organization’s Esports Director, explained when speaking to Sheep Esports. "We wanted to continue with Guilhoto’s vision and build around him. I believe he did a good job, and I believe that you need to give time to a project and to a coach.”

With that in mind, the team did not seek major changes. The only potential upgrade mentioned was the addition of a clear leader or an experienced player to accelerate the team’s progress, but, as Lozark states, "We were happy from the very beginning, coming into the offseason, to stay with the same lineup."

The only significant changes came within the coaching staff, with the departures of Nicolas "Nico" Perez and Emanuel "Emi" Ursachi, the re-signing of Rúben "rhuckz" Barbosa, and the arrival of Nubar "Maxlore" Sarafian. "We found a lot of success by adding rhuckz last year, so we wanted to support him and give him a full year with us in 2026. He’s someone who will tell Guilhoto exactly what he thinks, whether he agrees with him or not," Lozark commented on the former Portuguese support.

As for Maxlore, after a short experience as an assistant coach at Solary, he now joins the top tier with GIANTX. "Maxlore was my player when I was coaching Giants back in EU LCS (2016). I was extremely surprised by his discipline. We had him and S0NSTAR (Son Seung-ik), who were both extremely smart about the game. S0NSTAR reached the Worlds finals with KT Rolster, and I believe Maxlore can have a really strong impact on the players. He’s just starting, but I think he will become an extraordinary coach in the future."

One of the potentially major offseason developments could have been the arrival of Iván "Razork" Martín at GIANTX. He fits the profile of a vocal leader capable of pushing the team forward, and the organization did consider replacing Ismaïl "Isma" Boualem, although the move ultimately did not happen. "We wanted to focus on him. It’s something we told Isma literally on day one, so he knew about this possibility," explained Lozark, while precising that this in no way diminished Isma’s importance within the project.

Joining the team at the beginning of last Spring Split, the French-Belgian jungler struggled initially but steadily improved, and Lozark admits he was one of the team’s best performers by the end of the year. "He improved massively. He worked as a leader, he worked a lot on his communication, he was far less hesitant and much more decisive."

At the same time, Fnatic made several offers to bring back Yoon "Jun" Se-jun, who had left for GIANTX a year earlier. A trade between the jungler and the support was considered but eventually impossible as "Razork really wanted to play with Jun," according to Lozark. Although, per sources, Jun preferred to return to Fnatic, GIANTX disagreed with certain conditions and clauses proposed by Fnatic, and therefore decided to keep their support. "He told us he would also be happy to stay with us. For our project, and especially for our coaching staff, Jun was the most important player, and we couldn’t afford to lose him."

The rest of the roster was never seriously threatened by departures or replacements. GIANTX will therefore begin the new season hoping to achieve more with the same lineup, aiming to elevate the current roster rather than rebuild it. "I believe that one of our main strengths going into this year has to be the fact that we already know each other,” Lozark noted. “We can already discuss things internally. Guilhoto has already spent a year working with the entire team, so he can read the room better than before and understands the players’ weaknesses and strengths far more clearly. And it’s the same for the players among themselves."

With Worlds qualification still one of the major goals of the season, GIANTX intends to progress and currently positions itself as a potential outsider capable of challenging Fnatic for a place in the top four, provided the team can demonstrate greater consistency. "Consistency also comes with experience and time, so I hope we show much more of it this year in terms of the level we display on stage and in the reliability of our plays."