After spending almost nine months away from official competition, Justinas “jL” Lekavičius finally returned to the server. The Lithuanian rifler recently played at Roman Imperium Cup VI, a tier-2 LAN tournament, where he stood in for Liquid after NertZ was unable to attend due to travel issues.
Although the event does not belong to the tier-one circuit, it still provided a valuable opportunity to evaluate jL’s current level and determine whether he is ready for a return to the top level of Counter-Strike.
How jL Performed at the Tournament
Considering the long break from official matches, jL delivered a solid performance.
Across 12 maps, he recorded:
- 1.11 Rating 3.0
- 0.74 KPR
- 77.7 ADR
- 72.3% KAST
- +0.78 round swing
He also finished 66.7% of maps with a rating above 1.00, which suggests a fairly stable level throughout the event. There were several standout performances as well. Against BESTIA, jL produced a 1.85 rating, while he posted 1.65 ratings against EYEBALLERS on two separate maps. On Inferno against Alliance, he delivered another strong game with 21–10 K-D and a 1.73 rating.
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Naturally, there were also weaker maps. For example, on Nuke against Alliance, he finished with a 0.64 rating. But considering the context — a long break from competition and a temporary stand-in role — the overall performance was encouraging. Liquid ultimately finished 4th at the tournament, losing the third-place decider to Alliance.
Why jL Played for Liquid
The stand-in opportunity happened rather unexpectedly. According to jL, he was playing a casual 10v10 match with content creators when Liquid coach flashie, a close friend from their NAVI days, messaged him asking for help after NertZ missed his flight.
After receiving permission from NAVI, who still hold his contract, jL agreed to join the team for the event. Because of this contractual situation, he even appeared at the tournament wearing NAVI apparel. Financially, the arrangement was mostly informal. Reports suggest that jL did not receive a salary from Liquid for participating and could only earn prize money depending on the team’s result.
For the Lithuanian player, the main motivation was simply returning to competition.
First of all, I wanted to play competitively again. It’s not tier-1, of course, but I’m very happy to be here
His Role: Rotator on CT, Half-Lurker on T Side
According to NER0 role data, jL’s primary positions are Rotator on the CT side and Half-Lurker on the T side. On the CT side, the rotator role requires strong game awareness and fast decision-making. These players often move between bombsites depending on the round situation, helping teammates where pressure appears.
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On the T side, jL operates as a half-lurker. This role usually works slightly behind the main pack, applying pressure on another part of the map while the team prepares an execute. Instead of taking the first contact, half-lurkers often:
- punish rotations
- control flanks
- find late-round openings
- join the attack at the right timing
This role requires excellent positioning, patience, and communication, which fits jL’s playstyle. It also explains why his statistics show strong trading numbers and stable damage output, rather than extremely aggressive entry metrics.
Because of this profile, jL works best in teams that already have dedicated entry players, allowing him to focus on map control, timing plays, and late-round impact.
What jL Still Needs to Improve
Even though the tournament showed promising signs, several areas will determine whether jL can truly return to tier-one competition. The most obvious factor is competitive sharpness. After such a long break, only consistent matches against strong opponents can fully restore peak form.
Another area is opening impact. While lurkers are not expected to take the first duel every round, increasing early-round influence would make him more valuable in modern CS2. Finally, system fit will be critical. jL performs best in teams that allow players to take initiative rather than forcing extremely rigid structures.
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Which Teams Could Need jL
If jL returns to tier-one Counter-Strike this summer, several teams could realistically benefit from a player with his profile. His half-lurker role on T side and rotator responsibilities on CT make him valuable for teams that already have strong entry players but lack stability or late-round impact.
MOUZ could be an interesting option. The team consistently reaches deep playoff stages but often struggles to convert those runs into trophies, frequently finishing around the 3rd–4th place mark at major events. Adding a player like jL could potentially help shift the team’s mentality and bring additional experience in high-pressure matches. His ability to control map edges and close rounds might also relieve some pressure from MOUZ’s aggressive core.
Another possible destination is G2. The team has often relied heavily on star power, but consistency across roles has sometimes been an issue. A structured player who understands space control and mid-round decision-making could add balance to the lineup, especially if G2 want to stabilize their T sides.
Liquid themselves could also be considered, although the current stand-in situation is unlikely to become permanent. Still, jL’s positive comments about the team environment and his chemistry with players like EliGE showed that he can integrate well into the system.
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Astralis is another name worth mentioning, particularly because there have already been rumors linking jL to the organization in the past. Astralis have been rebuilding for some time and may benefit from a flexible rifler who can fill supportive roles while still providing late-round impact.
Finally, GamerLegion could be a realistic destination. The team has proven capable of developing talent and competing against stronger opponents, but adding a player with tier-one experience from an organization like NAVI could elevate their ceiling.
Ultimately, jL’s future will depend on finding the right system fit. Teams that already have aggressive entry players and need a reliable half-lurker who understands timing, rotations, and late-round decision-making may see him as a valuable addition.
A Potential Return This Summer — and the Challenge Ahead
According to jL himself, a comeback could happen relatively soon.“I should theoretically be back in the summer if everything works out.”
If the right opportunity does not appear, he plans to continue streaming and creating content, while staying close to the professional scene. However, history shows that returning to tier-one Counter-Strike after moving into content creation is extremely difficult.
The most notable recent example is s1mple. The Ukrainian superstar stepped away from competition and only returned to professional play nearly two years later, joining Falcons. While his comeback was one of the biggest stories in the scene, it also demonstrated how hard it is to immediately return to peak form after such a long absence from elite competition.
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Professional Counter-Strike evolves quickly. New systems appear, new players enter the scene, and the pace of the game continues to increase. When a player spends a long period outside of that environment, the gap between streaming and tier-one play can become significant.
That means the next few months could be crucial for jL. His performance at Roman Imperium Cup VI suggests that the Lithuanian rifler still has the ability to compete — but finding the right team and returning to regular competition will be key if he wants to fully reestablish himself at the tier-one level.
