Nivera to Stand In for Maka at Start of EPL S22

Nivera to Stand In for Maka at Start of EPL S22

3DMAX will kick off their ESL Pro League Season 22 (EPL S22) Stage 1 campaign in Stockholm, Sweden, with Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom filling in for Bryan “Maka” Canda. Maka will be unavailable for the opening matches due to his brother’s wedding. 

Background & Roster Shift

Maka, who until recently also served as 3DMAX’s sniper, stepped back from in-game leadership (IGL) duties in favor of Filip “Graviti” Brankovic, increasing his freedom to focus on pure performance. 

As Lucky (3DMAX’s rifler) put it, the IGL change was intended to let Maka “play at his full potential.” 

The shift was already yielding signs of improvement, with 3DMAX putting up strong showings against teams like The MongolZ and even taking down Natus Vincere (Na’Vi). 

Given that Maka is only missing the start, there remains the possibility that he will rejoin the team during the event if 3DMAX remains in contention. 

About Nivera & His Role

For Nivera, this will mark only his second international LAN appearance, following Skyesports Championship 2024.

It is his first time standing in for a top-20 team.

In 2025, Nivera has posted an average rating of 1.14.

Since leaving Mousquetaires (and prior to the FUT signing of the former NAVI Junior roster), he has been teamless, with his last official match coming in May.

HLTV’s player profile gives his age as 24 and notes that he currently does not have a team.

Implications for 3DMAX, Major & Rankings

Despite the substitution, 3DMAX is not in danger of losing their invited spot for the StarLadder Budapest Major, as their Stage 1 matches in Pro League are part of the VRS (Valve Ranking System) calculation.

In fact, the team is nearly assured a Stage 2 invite to the Major, regardless of the lineup change

In their opening match of the Swiss group stage, 3DMAX will face TNL.