Málaga / London / Berlin. Friday, January 16, 2026. The competitive year for the esports organization GIANTX begins this weekend as they kick off in Europe’s premier League of Legends league. The LEC raises the curtain on 2026 in Berlin with a new format called LEC Versus, designed to boost the spectacle by including top regional teams. The Giants begin their journey against Shifters, G2, and Team Heretics.
GIANTX retains the roster that established them in 2025 as the major alternative to the continent’s elite. This commitment to stability is embodied by top laner Eren 'Lot' Yıldız, jungler Ismaïl 'Isma' Boualem, mid laner Adam 'Jackies' Jeřábek, ADC Oh 'Noah' Hyeon-taek, and support Yoon 'Jun' Se-jun.
The coaching staff led by André Guilhoto and Rhuckz welcomes Nubar 'Maxlore' Sarafian as an assistant following the end of his professional playing career. Maxlore, a club legend, will bring his international experience to help the team challenge for a World Championship qualifying spot.
Debut and Format: LEC 2026 Versus
GIANTX hits the server this Saturday against Shifters (5:45 PM) and will complete the opening trio of matches on Sunday against G2 (8:00 PM) and Monday against Team Heretics (6:30 PM). The matches can be followed on the Twitch channels of Th3Antonio, Flakked, and ElOjoNinja.
LEC 2026 Versus replaces the winter split and includes two exceptional guests: Los Ratones (Caedrel and Rekkles' project) and Karmine Corp Blue. The top eight from the group stage will qualify for the playoffs, with the winner earning a ticket to First Stand, the year's first international event. The season's ultimate goal remains every professional's greatest dream: Worlds in the United States.
