{"id":34721,"date":"2026-03-09T20:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/?p=34721"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:15:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:15:01","slug":"jl-makes-surprise-return-to-play-for-team-liquid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blix.gg\/blog\/news\/cs-2\/jl-makes-surprise-return-to-play-for-team-liquid\/","title":{"rendered":"jL Makes Surprise Return to Play for Team Liquid at Roman Imperium Cup VI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Team Liquid<\/strong> will field a temporary replacement at the upcoming Roman Imperium Cup VI<\/a><\/strong>, with Justinas \u201cjL<\/strong>\u201d Lekavicius stepping in for the squad during the Portuguese LAN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lithuanian rifler will stand in for Guy \u201cNertZ<\/strong>\u201d Iluz, who will miss the tournament due to travel issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event is scheduled to take place from March 12\u201315 at the SAW Esports Arena in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal<\/strong>, where Liquid <\/strong>will compete against teams including BESTIA<\/strong>, Gaimin Gladiators<\/strong>, Famalic\u00e3o<\/strong>, and OlyBet <\/strong>in a best-of-one round-robin group stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

jL Temporary Return to Competition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Justinas \u201cjL<\/strong>\u201d Lekavicius<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

jL <\/strong>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<\/strong> player also appeared as an analyst at IEM Krakow<\/a> <\/strong>earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite his absence from competition, the Major MVP will now return to action for a short stint with Liquid<\/strong>. The stand-in opportunity also reunites him with Liquid <\/strong>head coach Viktor \u201cflashie<\/strong>\u201d Tam\u00e1s Bea, who previously worked alongside jL <\/strong>on NAVI\u2019s <\/strong>coaching staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Liquid Chasing Crucial VRS Points<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Roman Imperium Cup VI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Liquid\u2019s <\/strong>decision to attend events such as the Roman Imperium Cup VI<\/strong> comes as the team looks to improve its standing in the Valve Regional Standings<\/a><\/strong>. The squad\u2019s chances of qualifying for the next Major have dropped following an early exit from ESL Pro League Season 23<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Portuguese LAN, therefore, represents an opportunity for Liquid <\/strong>to secure valuable ranking points against a field largely composed of lower-tier teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Expected Team Liquid Lineup at Roman Imperium Cup VI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n