Team Vitality has signed Justinas “jL” Lekavičius as a substitute for its Counter-Strike 2 roster ahead of the Esports World Cup 2026, the organisation said on August 5, 2026.
Vitality said jL’s first appearance for the team will be at BLAST Open Porto 2026, where he will replace William “mezii” Merriman. The organisation also confirmed jL will play at PGL Masters Bucharest in October, replacing Dan “apEX” Madesclaire for the duration of the tournament.
According to Vitality, both mezii and apEX will be unavailable during those events as they are expecting a child with their respective partners.
“When you’re a fan of Counter-Strike, you follow the best players. Now I have the chance to play with every single one of them. My goal is to slot in as best as possible. I can’t be mezii or apEX, but I can come in as mechanically prepared as possible to give us the highest chances to win. Also, having zywOo, you always have a chance to win the trophy. The goal is to win a tournament; if luck is on our side, maybe even two,” says Justinas “jL” Lekavičius.
Vitality framed the move as a short-term roster solution for upcoming competitions as it looks to return to form following IEM Cologne.
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