After a tough loss on Bind against Gentle Mates, GX westside remains confident that the team can put together a strong run.
GIANTX (GX) had a rough start at the VCT EMEA 2026: Kickoff stage after Gentle Mates' comeback on the second map while losing 2-10. For Miłosz "westside" Duda, the team let a winnable game slip through their hands. "They started to take control, round by round, and we couldn't stop them," he said in an interview with esports.gg right after the match.
In the new triple-elimination format, GIANTX still has some chances to regain confidence, build a new strategy, and contest the Masters Santiago title.
The "French" comeback
When Gentle Mates regained their momentum in the match against GIANTX, there was no way to stop them, as westside explained. As soon as they started to take control of the match and snowballed with it, it was too hard to stop them.
Losing by 2-10, the French organization did not give up. After winning the pistol round in the second half, no one else would get in their way and take the victory. Gente Mates won 11 rounds in a row, leaving GIANTX without means to close the match.
When westside was popping off on his Sage, he jokingly said, “I might be the best Sage in this game,” though he admitted it might have been too soon to say out loud. “I probably shouldn’t have said it so early,” he laughed. “This game felt like a slap to wake me up. It reminded me that we just need to step up a little if we want to win.”
It could have been instant karma, but westside recognizes it was a tough way to lose the match, and he’ll probably have nightmares about it in the coming nights.
One year later, the same GIANTX
GIANTX was one of the few teams that kept the same roster from the 2025 season. There is a reason why you shouldn't be separating what is already working, as westside belives. "Staying together one more year makes us even stronger, not only because we are friends outside of the game, but also because we have good chemistry as a team," he added.
For the player, not having to repeat the same mistakes another year helps a lot. The team can now focus on new things. “We might not have shown it, but we could still win the match. I think everyone expected us to go to a third map, but something inside us didn’t let us close it,” he explained.
However, GX westside wants everyone to remember that, last season, they started 0-5. For him, they are not underdogs or top teams. Everyone is on the same page. It all depends on how the person woke up that day. While he was not trying to find excuses for their loss, the player also thinks that losing the first map did not help because they were already losing confidence.
GX westside opens up about his international debut
In 2025, GX westside had its first international experience by qualifying for the VALORANT Champions 2025 tournament. For westside, that stage taught him the most important lesson of his career. “No matter how good you are, if you don’t play as a team, you won’t win,” he said. “It’s about having teammates you can rely on, not just landing headshots by yourself.”
In the end, the team that makes fewer mistakes will win and will punish the other team for them. Entering the new season, GX Cloud shared with his team that everyone should be focusing on their own game, no matter who is on the other side. The secret is to take every round individually, as if it were a new game.
Now, the team needs to work on their confidence, play more aggressively, try to get some picks, and not overthink, westside stated. If you are not a GIANTX fan, westside believes you should give the team a try and watch their matches. "We already showed that we can do the lower bracket runs. If we end up there, and I hope we don't, everyone should be scared," he finished.
GIANTX is going to be playing PCIFIC Esports in the mid bracket on Jan. 28, 2026. You can watch all the matches on the VCT EMEA official Twitch and YouTube channels.
