jL Credits Vitality’s Stand-In Depth After NAVI Win

Vitality reached the PGL Masters Bucharest playoffs after defeating Natus Vincere, with Justinas “jL” Lekavicius standing in for the team. The match also brought jL up against his former teammates.

Dan “apEX” Madesclaire missed the playoff-deciding match, leaving William “mezii” Merriman to lead Vitality in-game. jL expected the reunion with NAVI to be more difficult, but focused on enjoying the match and helping his new teammates.

“There was nothing personal,” jL said. “I came into the game with just the mindset that I’m going to have fun, I’m going to do my best, I’m going to try to help my teammates the most, and we’ll see where it takes us.”

The Lithuanian rifler explained that Vitality had to communicate more and organize rounds differently with mezii leading. Mezii does not have the same experience as apEX in setting up rounds, jL noted, but the team has adjusted to the change.

“We have to help him, and this is what we’re here for,” jL said. “This is why Vitality is one of the best teams in the world, because they have the ability to cover for players. They have the ability to communicate more, to organize things, and that’s what we’re doing so well right now.”

jL added that he feels more comfortable with the current Vitality lineup than he did during his previous stand-in stint at BLAST Open Porto. Having already played with the roster has given him a clearer idea of his duties.

He also rejected the idea that his performances at Vitality were mainly intended to attract offers from other teams. His focus is on helping Vitality, and he noted that the organization could reach a final even with an academy player.

jL’s future remains undecided after the Singapore Major. His preferred option is to join a team that can compete for trophies and values practice, improvement and teamwork. If he does not find a suitable roster, he may leave professional Counter-Strike and focus on content creation and his family.

“If I don’t find a team after Singapore, I might just call it quits,” jL said. “I’d much rather do other things than be in a scenario where I don’t want to be in.”

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