Duncan “Thorin” Shields has claimed that NAVI may have tried to bring Justinas “jL” Lekavičius back during the summer player break, but the player reportedly decided against returning. Speaking on Last Free Nation, Thorin stressed that the information was based on rumors and has not been independently confirmed.
Neither NAVI nor jL have publicly confirmed that such an offer was made. However, the report appeared only two days after jL openly said that a return to his former roster is currently not something he is looking for.
Thorin heard NAVI may have approached jL
Thorin said he had heard that NAVI explored bringing jL back during the player break. He also suggested that jL may have believed another opportunity would suit him better, linking that possibility with his recent stand-in period at Vitality.
I also heard rumors that during this player break, they may have asked jL to come back, and he decided not to do it. Maybe he thought he could find something better — maybe that’s why he wanted to show his skills in Vitality. It’s crazy if true.
The wording is important: Thorin himself used “rumors,” “may have” and “if true,” meaning the supposed NAVI approach should not be treated as a confirmed transfer offer.
jL had already spoken against an immediate NAVI return
The rumor fits with the public position jL expressed on September 4. When asked about the possibility of returning to NAVI, he gave a direct response:
I didn’t leave to come back.
jL did not completely rule out the possibility in the future, but said some key things inside NAVI would need to change before he reconsidered it.
He also criticized the current approach of the roster, saying NAVI are trying too hard to play “perfect CS,” are afraid of making mistakes and need to start enjoying the game again.
That makes the timing of the Thorin rumor particularly interesting. Even without confirmation of an actual summer offer, jL has already publicly made it clear that simply returning to the previous setup is not attractive to him.
NAVI have struggled at recent tournaments
NAVI results since the Cologne Major have added more context to the discussion around possible changes.
At IEM Cologne Major 2026, NAVI finished 9th–11th after losses to Spirit, Falcons and G2. Esports World Cup 2026 then ended with a 0:2 elimination against Legacy.
BLAST Open Porto 2026 brought another early exit. NAVI lost 1:2 to M80 in their opening series, recovered with a 2:0 victory over paiN, but were eliminated 0:2 by G2 and finished 9th–12th.
The last tournament victory for NAVI came at IEM Atlanta 2026 in May, where they defeated GamerLegion 3:0 in the Grand Final.
jL reached the Semi-finals with Vitality
While NAVI exited Porto early, jL had a deeper run as a stand-in for Vitality.
Vitality initially lost 0:2 to Inner Circle but recovered through the lower bracket and eventually reached the Semi-finals. jL finished BLAST Open Porto 2026 with a 1.05 Rating 3.0 across 14 maps, while Vitality placed 3rd–4th.
His Porto run was another opportunity to play at the highest level after spending a long period away from a permanent starting roster.
jL still wants a permanent return to professional play
The reported refusal should also not be interpreted as jL being unwilling to return to full-time competition.
In an interview published on August 27, jL said professional play remains his main career priority and that he is ready to make the necessary sacrifices to commit to a permanent team. He also revealed that another potential move had previously reached an advanced stage before falling apart because of contract issues.
That makes the distinction important: if the NAVI approach described by Thorin really happened, the issue appears to have been returning to NAVI specifically, not a lack of motivation to compete again.
For now, the supposed offer remains an unconfirmed rumor. The confirmed part is the public position of jL — he wants to return to professional Counter-Strike, but an immediate return to NAVI does not appear to be part of that plan.
