GIANTX coach Guilhoto bets on risk-taking over comfort in pursuit of Worlds qualification

André “Guilhoto” Pereira Guilhoto has a clear philosophy: you don’t get to the World Championship by playing it safe. The GIANTX head coach, who rejoined the organization on November 18, 2024, on a two-year deal, has been reshaping the team’s mentality around a single goal. Get to Worlds, or go down swinging.

From eighth place to Summer finals

GIANTX’s 2025 season tells a story of two very different halves. The team finished eighth in both the Winter and Spring splits, then surged through Summer, reaching the finals before ultimately falling short of qualifying for Worlds.

That trajectory is precisely why Guilhoto and GIANTX made the decision to retain the roster and coaching staff heading into the 2026 LEC season. Players like ISMA, Jackies, and Lot earned the organization’s confidence through that Summer run.

The case for calculated aggression

Guilhoto has talked openly about valuing risk-taking over conservative play that keeps teams safely in the middle of the pack. Infrastructure development has been a key focus since his return, building the kind of support systems that allow talented players to take creative risks.

Why roster continuity matters in the LEC

GIANTX’s decision to keep the band together is a bet on chemistry over raw talent acquisition. The team went from eighth place to the Summer finals with this group.

His contract is structured to underscore that commitment. The deal runs through the day after the 2026 World Championship, a very deliberate end date that says: we’re building toward this specific tournament, and we’ll evaluate everything after it.

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