The 2026 season for
GIANTX got off to a painful start. After the loss at
VALORANT Champions Tour
EMEA KickOff againts Gentle Mates,
Sheep Esports sat down with the young Belgian player Karel
"Flickless" Maeckelbergh to discuss closing problems, areas of the defence that still need fixing, why GIANTX chose to keep the same roster for another year and other topics.
What’s your feeling about today's match?
Karel "Flickless" Maeckelbergh: "We should never lose this game. On both Pearl and Bind, we could have closed the maps, but we didn’t. It was our first game back on stage, so we needed some time, and we’ll be fine.
If you had to sum up your performance today in one sentence, what would you say?
Flickless: I’d say it was good overall. I had good rounds, but on defense I should have done more. We didn’t really find solutions on defence. Attack was good, defense was bad.
As a team, what was the main issue you needed to fix before the next match?
Flickless: We didn’t punish the solo player enough, especially Minny (Patrik Hušek). We respected him a bit too much. He’s a great player, so the respect is understandable, but we gave him too much space and too much freedom. We could have done more to punish that.
Looking back at 2025: what was your biggest improvement and biggest regret?
Flickless: My biggest regret is not bringing home the EMEA trophy against Team Liquid. We were happy to make
Champions, but second place always hurts, and I’ve had a lot of second places in my career. My biggest improvement is how good of a group we became. I didn’t really know most of the team before, only
GRUBINHO (Grzegorz Ryczko) and
ara (Hanceriuc Eduard-George), so building that friendship made it easier to work together. Also, I learned a lot from
pipsoN (Daniil Mesheryakov) and
wayLander (Jan Rahkonen). My gameplay improved a lot because of their help.
GIANTX just before their game against Gentle Mates at the VCT EMEA KickOff. Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
Last time we spoke was just after the win against Sentinels at Champions. Do you realize how big your performance is now?
Flickless: Yes, it was a huge statement. Right after it happened, it was hard to fully realize it. But when I got home and looked back at what we did, it was amazing.
You’re the only team that didn’t make any roster changes this year. Why stick together ceiling, chemistry, unfinished business?
Flickless: We did so much in such a short time. Staying together was the obvious choice because we can still learn a lot more. Keeping Cloud (Kirill Nehozhin) was the most important part for us. Him staying is huge, and with him we can go really far.
What’s the biggest lesson you took from last year that still helps you today?
Flickless: Never keep your head down. Even after a loss like this, you have to show up for the next game. Keep going, keep growing, keep learning. There’s no time to be sad; you just keep grinding.
With a reshaped VCT EMEA and many rookies, do you think you have an experience advantage, or is it more dangerous because it’s unpredictable?
Flickless: It’s unpredictable. I don’t think we have a big experience advantage because ara and I are still new to VCT, and we have a lot to learn. Players like Cloud have more experience, and we’ll only get that with time.
Which new players joining VCT this year have impressed you in the scrims or in the rankings?
Flickless: A weird one, but the guy from ULF, d3mur (Demir Boğa). From ranked experience, he’s insane. He’s the best player I’ve played against in ranked. Honestly, every rookie coming in is really good. People call BBL rookies, but they play like star players. In scrims and now in officials, they were smashing. Lovers Rock dropped 28–7. Their comps and ideas shocked me.
We saw your parents in the stands. What did it mean to have them there?
Flickless: It means a lot. They visited before, Paris was the first time because it was closer, and they’ve been to Berlin, but they never watched my game live. Seeing them here, looking up and seeing my parents here is the best feeling. Their support means so much.
For 2026, what are your goals individually and as a team, and what’s your main focus for improvement?
Flickless: Individually, I want to improve as much as possible. With pipsoN, waylander, and Cloud, I’m in the right place for that; they can teach me a lot more. As a team, I want to go to international events, and if possible, try to win something. My main focus is on improving every day.”
Flickless: Oh, and buy the GIANTX Bundle
