Maxlore returns to LEC with GIANTX as assistant coach

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 16/12/2025

Former EU LCS and LEC jungler Nubar ‘Maxlore’ Sarafian has been revealed as GIANTX’s new assistant coach.

The UK star has since retired from pro play and converted to coaching, and will get his chance to return to Tier 1 play next year.

Maxlore will help GIANTX ahead of the upcoming LEC Versus tournament.

The British jungler was best known for his team on Misfits Gaming, leading the team to Worlds and a close five-game series with SKT T1 in 2017.

Maxlore also had a lot of success competing in various Tier 2 events, primarily in the UK and Spain during his decade-long playing career.

Alongside Marc ‘Caedrel’ Lamont and Barney ‘Alphari’ Morris, Maxlore won the ESL UK Premiership 2016 Spring Playoffs.

Maxlore revealed he was retiring from playing and was interested in coaching back in October 2024.

Last season, he joined LFL team Solarly as a strategic coach and helped the team finish second during the Spring regular season.

However, Solary did not manage to qualify for any of the EMEA Masters events in 2025.

Speaking about his new opportunity, Maxlore said he was happy to be back with the spiritual successors of Giants Gaming who he previously played for:

“I’m really happy to be here, and I’m looking forward to the work I’m going to do in the LEC with the team, Guilhotto, and Rhuckz.

“For me my goal will be, obviously number one, to make everyone improve. And number two, win. Keep it simple, same as when I was a player, but now as a coach.

“I want to eventually be the coach I wanted as a player.”

Maxlore will be joined by veteran head coach André ‘Guilhoto’ Pereira Guilhoto and former Fnatic support Rúben ‘Rhuckz’ Barbosa who is staying on as another assistant coach.

GIANTX LEC roster 2026

Unlike most teams, GIANTX are keeping their entire 2025 roster for the 2026 LEC season.

They are the only team except MOVISTAR KOI and G2 Esports to keep the same LEC roster for next year.

This means Maxlore will be working closely with jungler Ismaïl ‘ISMA’ Boualem, who played for SK Gaming, Karmine Corp Blue, and GIANTX last year.

The fuller GIANTX roster for 2026 will be:

• Toplaner – Eren ‘Lot’ Yıldız
• Jungler – Ismaïl ‘ISMA’ Boualem
• Midlaner – Adam ‘Jackies’ Jeřábek
• Botlaner – Oh ‘Noah’ Hyeon-taek
• Support – Yoon ‘Jun’ Se-jun

GIANTX managed to keep hold of Korean support Jun despite reports that Fnatic were interested in bringing him back.

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

In my seven years of esports writing, I've introduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I'm most proud of the latter.

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