jL says Vitality’s stand-in run shows why they can stay on top in CS2

Justinas “jL” Lekavicius said Vitality’s run to the PGL Masters Bucharest playoffs shows why he sees them as the best team in Counter-Strike 2, after the side once again reached the knockout stage with him filling in as a stand-in. Vitality booked their playoff spot by beating Natus Vincere, and the match gave jL a chance to play against his former teammates.

He said before the game that he expected the meeting with NAVI to be harder than it turned out to be. His approach was simple: enjoy the match, play his part and do as much as he could for Vitality. That mindset helped him settle into the series and keep the focus on the team rather than the reunion.

jL tried not to make the NAVI reunion bigger than the game

Facing his old teammates added a bit of extra edge to the match, but jL said he did not treat it like a personal test. He said there was nothing personal in the matchup and that he had no reason to make it more difficult than it needed to be.

“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.”

He also said beating friends is not really about bragging rights. In his view, the bigger issue is that the opposing side is dealing with a stand-in of its own, which changes preparation and forces teams to adjust more often than usual. He noted that Vitality mix things up before every game anyway, but that the changes can become even more frequent when a stand-in is involved.

The result mattered because it finished Vitality’s run in Bucharest with another playoff appearance despite the roster being altered again. jL’s point was not that the win was easy, but that Vitality’s structure allowed them to absorb the changes and still perform at a level that keeps them in contention.

Vitality’s structure and communication were the main talking points

Asked about this version of Vitality compared with the previous one he played in, jL said the current group needs more communication. The difference, he explained, comes from the absence of Dan, with mezii taking on responsibilities that do not naturally match a full-time in-game leader’s job.

“This version of Vitality requires a lot more communication,” jL said. “We have to help him, and this is what we’re here for.”

He said Vitality’s strength is the way the players can cover for each other when roles shift. In his words, mezii does not set things up as well as Dan, but that is to be expected because mezii is not an in-game leader. What matters, he said, is that the team communicates more, organises better and keeps the system running even when one of its usual pieces is missing.

“This is why Vitality is one of… is the best team 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.”

That idea framed most of jL’s assessment of the team. He said this group feels more comfortable to him because he has now spent more time with the players and knows what to do better than he did the first time he joined them. He stopped short of calling this version stronger in absolute terms, but said his own confidence is higher because of that extra experience.

He also made clear that he would not answer the question of which roster is the better one by leaning only on his own comfort. In his view, the more important point is that Vitality continue to function well despite having to adapt around a stand-in, and that they do so through communication rather than individual heroics alone.

jL said the stand-in role is not about marketing himself

jL was asked whether a deep run with Vitality could increase interest in him from other teams. He pushed back on that idea, saying it would be too egotistical to show up with the goal of boosting his own profile. He argued that even a final run with this line-up would still be seen primarily as another example of Vitality doing Vitality things.

He said the role he has with the team is to help them achieve the best possible result while apEX and mezii take care of their families, something he called very respectable. The point, he said, is to contribute to the team’s success rather than to turn the stand-in stint into a personal showcase.

“Of course, it’s nice to play well, it’s nice to shoot good, but that is not the goal,” he said.

That separation between team goals and personal promotion ran through the rest of the interview as well. jL said he is not expecting praise just because he is filling in for one of the best teams in the world. In his view, Vitality would still be expected to reach deep stages of events even with an academy player, so he does not see the stand-in role as a route to easy recognition.

His next step after the Singapore Major is still unsettled

The biggest unanswered question around jL is what comes after the Singapore Major. He said his ideal outcome would be to join a team that lets him compete for trophies again. If that does not happen, though, he said he might step away from competitive play.

He explained that if he does not find a team after Singapore, he may call it quits and move on to content, while also focusing on his wife and his child, who is on the way. He added that he would much rather spend time on other things than end up in a situation where he does not want to be.

jL said he wants to do things on his own terms. The best-case scenario for him is a team where he can practice, learn and grow with the group, because he values the process of building toward trophies as much as the trophies themselves. He described that process as creating a second family, and said he would not sign a contract simply to keep playing if the fit is not right.

That leaves his future open, but his present role is clear. Vitality have reached the playoffs again with him in the line-up, and jL said the reason they can keep doing that is simple: the team communicates, organises and covers for one another better than most sides can.