GIANTX bench Noah and Lot, bring Flakked back to the LEC

GIANTX have benched botlaner Oh "Noah" Hyeon-taek and toplaner Eren "Lot" Yıldız from their starting roster ahead of the LEC Summer Split, ending a year and a half with the same lineup. Víctor "Flakked" Lirola Tortosa, on the organisation's academy team since the start of the year, steps in for Noah, while former Fnatic toplaner Óscar "Oscarinin" Muñoz is set to replace Lot, according to rumours.Announced on June 23, the move is a Summer Split rebuild driven by GIANTX's ambition to reach Worlds.

Sporting director David "Lozark" Alonso took on part of the blame, admitting the team had spent almost two years with the same group and failed to create the right environment for the two players. He said the squad had called for a change almost unanimously. GIANTX had tried to trade both players to give them landing spots, he added, but it proved impossible, so the team went ahead anyway. The decision was not personal and there was no bad blood, he stressed — finishing Top 4 for three splits in a row does nothing for them, and the team has to take risks.

The move feels both expected and surprising. GIANTX have finished fourth in each of the last three splits and looked to have hit a ceiling. Noah has been enduring his worst LEC season by some distance, sitting 49th out of 52 players by RFT score this split, at 49.2 — a striking figure for a Top 4 team. The call is harder to read for Lot, who looked less troubled on the LEC toplane than his botlane colleague. The organisation is taking risks on the competitive side. There is real possibility that with this last-minute change of dynamic, the team performs below its current level in Summer.

But the changes also seem to carry a second layer of intent. Both additions are Spanish players, suggesting a move aimed at reinforcing GX's Spanish identity and community. Flakked broke into the LEC with G2 Esports in 2022, winning his first trophy and reaching MSI and Worlds, before spells with Team Heretics through last year and two splits with GIANTX Pride this season.

Both departing players opened up on their socials. Noah said he understood and respected the decision, and will spend the rest of the year in Korea recovering his health and playing solo queue, hoping to return next year. Lot struck a reflective note, calling change an opportunity for growth and thanking the fans. All of GIANTX's players are on contracts expiring in November.