Integrative genomic analyses support the division of the extended Asfarviridae clade into multiple viral families.

Giant viruses continue to challenge our understanding of virology, blurring boundaries of what a virus can be. The so-called "extended Asfarviridae"- such as African swine fever virus, faustovirus, kaumoebavirus, pacmanvirus, and AbALV-has long puzzled taxonomists. By integrating comparative genomics, pangenomics, and phylogenomics, we show these lineages are deeply divergent, forming multiple families rather than one. This work underscores the huge unexplored diversity of giant viruses and demonstrates the value of integrative genomic analyses for proper taxonomic delineation.