Maden joins BIG Academy as in-game leader
BIG has announced the signing of Pavle "Maden" Bošković , but for their academy team, as the 27-year-old has decided to make a shift in his career and take the mantle of in-game leadership — something he had hinted at in May.
HLTV9 Oct 2026 · 1 min read
The Montenegrin was last under contract in March, when he was benched in fnatic before becoming a free agent the following month and briefly joining the illwill mix-team before the summer break.
"Leading a team is something I've wanted to do for a long time, and I can't think of a better place to start than BIG. "For Maden, this is a clear choice about where he wants to go in his career," he said.
"He has the quality and the opportunities to keep playing at Tier 1 in another role, but he wants to become an IGL. He has chosen our academy to help young players improve, build a team and show what he can do as a captain.
He brings years of experience at the highest level and the personal qualities you need to lead a team. In our conversations, you could really feel how much he wants this challenge.
Our boys can learn from him every day, and he gets our trust and support to grow into this role and show his potential.
