Team Liquid will field a temporary replacement at the upcoming Roman Imperium Cup VI, with Justinas “jL” Lekavicius stepping in for the squad during the Portuguese LAN.
The Lithuanian rifler will stand in for Guy “NertZ” Iluz, who will miss the tournament due to travel issues.
The event is scheduled to take place from March 12–15 at the SAW Esports Arena in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, where Liquid will compete against teams including BESTIA, Gaimin Gladiators, Famalicão, and OlyBet in a best-of-one round-robin group stage.
Contents
jL Temporary Return to Competition
jL has been out of competitive play since July, when he stepped away from the server to focus on his well-being. During that time, the former Natus Vincere player also appeared as an analyst at IEM Krakow earlier this year.
Despite his absence from competition, the Major MVP will now return to action for a short stint with Liquid. The stand-in opportunity also reunites him with Liquid head coach Viktor “flashie” Tamás Bea, who previously worked alongside jL on NAVI’s coaching staff.
Liquid Chasing Crucial VRS Points
Liquid’s decision to attend events such as the Roman Imperium Cup VI comes as the team looks to improve its standing in the Valve Regional Standings. The squad’s chances of qualifying for the next Major have dropped following an early exit from ESL Pro League Season 23.
The Portuguese LAN, therefore, represents an opportunity for Liquid to secure valuable ranking points against a field largely composed of lower-tier teams.
Expected Team Liquid Lineup at Roman Imperium Cup VI
- Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak
- Keith “NAF” Markovic
- Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek
- Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski
- Justinas “jL” Lekavicius (stand-in)
NertZ is expected to rejoin the team for BLAST Open Rotterdam, where Liquid will face Team Spirit in the opening round.
For now, however, Liquid will rely on jL to fill the gap as they look to secure a strong result in Portugal and boost their hopes of qualifying for the Major.
