GIANTX bench GRUBINHO after a disappointing VCT EMEA Stage 1

Grzegorz "GRUBINHO" Ryczko has been officially benched from the GIANTX active roster following a disappointing performance in VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 1

The move was announced by the organization on its social media pages on July 1. The future of the player remains unknown, but changes had to be made given how poorly the team performed in the latest stage.

A carrer made of highs and lows for GRUBIHNO

The Polish player’s career has been turbulent; things weren’t going well for him in the VCT before 2025. He got his first shot in 2024 with KOI, but as we all know the org never managed to find major success in VALORANT, and few expected him to have a strong 2025.

After the KOI stint, GIANTX picked him up, after which GRUBINHO helped the team reach the Grand Final at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Stage 2 and finish 7–8th at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions. That is an insane achievement for a player who spent most of his career in Tier 2 and near the bottom of the VCT standings.

No one knows what’s next for GRUBINHO. Making roster changes this late in the year rarely benefits a player or an organization, since few teams are willing to shake things up before the final stage.

What’s next for GiantX?

Even before the benching announcement, rumors were circulating that Cihan "musz3kk" Göçer was expected to join the team. Turkish players are currently facing visa issues left and right, so any potential deal could hinge on the player's availability to play from the get-go.

Other whispers claim that Michael "neT" Bernet will join to replace Kirill "Cloud" Nehozhin, who has already made the move over to Fnatic. Changes like these could give GIANTX a breath of fresh air after a year in which they haven’t been able to replicate their 2025 success. For now, though, we'll just have to wait and see exactly what kind of roster GIANTX can put together before the start of Stage 2.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image Source: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games