Look Sports Media – Eduard-George "ara" Hanceriuc, the prodigious Duelist for GiantX, is embarking on only his second season within the fiercely competitive VCT circuit, having made his debut in April of the previous year. Despite his relative inexperience, the young talent shoulders significant pressure as the primary offensive spearhead for a GiantX squad that defied expectations to secure a runner-up finish at EMEA Stage 2 in 2025. Following their hard-fought 2-1 triumph over PCIFIC at the EMEA Kickoff 2026, looksports.media had the opportunity to sit down with Hanceriuc to delve into the specifics of the match and assess GiantX’s nascent seasonal performance.
Hanceriuc openly acknowledged the substantial expectations weighing on his team. "People have really high expectations, especially from us," he remarked, emphasizing the team’s relative youth. "We’re still like a really rookie team. We’re still learning. Last season for me, it was the first one, same as Flickless." This candid admission highlights the internal drive to meet external demands while navigating the steep learning curve of professional Valorant.
Reflecting on their recent victory, ara expressed satisfaction. "We’re feeling good. We’re happy with this win," he stated, underscoring its importance after an earlier setback. "It was important for us. Because in the first game we lost, and it was a bit rough for us, that loss. But happy that we bounced back, and hopefully we can keep up this form."
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The conversation quickly shifted to the current meta and specific map performances. On Abyss, where ara showcased an explosive 17-6 scoreline in the first half, he lauded the power of the Operator and Outlaw. "The Operator and especially Outlaw. They are really strong in this meta, since the 60-second delay on the refill," he explained, crediting pipsoN for his guidance. "I think it’s a really strong gun if you know how to play it. You need a bit of game knowledge as well to know how to play it. pipsoN helped me with this, and I think I’m pretty good at it." Despite Abyss being "one of our best maps," ara noted a recurring challenge in closing out rounds, particularly on the attack side.
Bind presented similar difficulties, with ara admitting the team "just threw a bit" and struggled to finalize rounds. A key factor was their unfamiliarity with PCIFIC’s Veto composition. "We struggled against this Veto because we never scrimmed or played against a Veto, and it was kind of hard for us to adapt to it," he revealed. However, strategic adjustments from Cloud and pipsoN eventually allowed them to find solutions.
When asked about the prevalent discussion surrounding Operator users transitioning to agents like Veto or Chamber, ara remained pragmatic. While acknowledging the potential, he stressed the current team structure. "We have a Sentinel player westside, but the main Operator is me right now," he clarified, indicating no immediate plans for such a switch.
The mental fortitude of GiantX was tested after losing Bind, but ara confirmed the team’s resilience. "It’s a Best of 3. So it’s like a marathon, I would say," he elaborated. "Even if we lost the second map, we kept our mental strong. We knew that if we kept playing strong, we were going to win the last map eventually. So we didn’t really lose our faith." He highlighted the collective belief even when facing a 6-10 deficit, showcasing the team’s unwavering spirit.
Hanceriuc also took a moment to praise his In-Game Leader, Cloud, whose performance in the latter maps was nothing short of spectacular. "You can see him stepping up in these games. I mean, what can I say? Cloud played insane," ara enthused. "He’s also IGLing, and he might be one of the best IGLs in our league, I would say, based on his shooting, his calling."
The recent map pool changes have had a personal impact on ara, who admitted feeling "personally hurt" by the removal of Ascent and Sunset, maps where he consistently excelled. "That’s how Valorant works. We have to like adapt to these new changes," he conceded, though he still prefers the previous map rotation over the current one, which includes Pearl and Abyss.
One of GiantX’s distinct advantages this season is their stable roster. Unlike many teams undergoing significant overhauls, GiantX maintained their core lineup, fostering deep-seated chemistry. "A lot of teams have to like build this chemistry, but we didn’t change anything. So we still have this chemistry from last year," ara explained. "We know each other’s habits and stuff… Also, the vibes in the team are very good because, as I said before, we are all a group of friends."
In a surprising revelation, ara singled out PCIFIC’s "Seven" as the player who most impressed him during their intense matchup. "I would say Seven [impressed me]. He was really shooting hard with the Phantom," ara confessed. "He punished me with the Flash for some rounds… He made a good impression on me with this Phantom, and he seemed like a chill guy." He noted the distinct playstyle, suggesting it might stem from an NA influence where the Phantom is often favored over the Vandal.
Looking ahead, GiantX awaits the victor of the Heretics versus ULF clash. Ara leaned towards Heretics due to their experience, acknowledging ULF’s strength despite recent roster changes. He remains cautious about predicting the impact of Heretics’ own roster adjustment, with Miniboo departing and ComeBack joining, stating, "We still have to wait a bit to see how it’s going to turn out."
GiantX continues its journey through EMEA Kickoff 2026, driven by high expectations, a strong team bond, and a commitment to adapt and overcome the challenges of a constantly evolving meta. Their recent triumph, coupled with ara’s insights, paints a picture of a team ready to fight for their place at the top.
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