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jL’s Departure Confirmed
Justinas ‘jL’ Lekavicius is stepping back from competitive CS2 and will be placed on the bench of Natus Vincere, as announced by the Ukrainian organization on Tuesday. Drin ‘makazze’ Shaqiri, who has recently been elevated from the academy team, NAVI Junior, will take his place.
Read more about Natus Vincere promoting makazze.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, ‘jL’ addressed the move and explained his decision to step back from competitive CS2.
makazze Steps Into the Spotlight
Drin ‘makazze’ Shaqiri, an emerging talent from NAVI’s Junior program, is now taking center stage. After making a mark in the NAVI Junior squad, he will have his inaugural opportunity on the main stage. His promotion highlights NAVI’s ongoing commitment to fostering local talent.
Read more about Natus Vincere promoting makazze.
The updated NAVI lineup, now featuring ‘makazze’, will be tested at IEM Cologne later this month—his debut at a top-tier event.
NAVI’s Struggles in 2025
‘jL’ joined Natus Vincere during the summer of 2023 when the team transitioned to an English communication system, becoming part of the lineup alongside Aleksi ‘Aleksib’ Virolainen and Mihai ‘iM’ Ivan.
The Lithuanian performed at an unprecedented level in 2024, contributing to NAVI’s victory in four championships, including the PGL Major Copenhagen, where he earned an MVP medal. He was recognized as the fifth-best player of 2024 and received the Closer of the Year award.
However, Natus Vincere experienced an unsatisfactory first season in 2025 where they struggled to compete for titles. While they consistently progressed to the playoffs, they only succeeded in reaching the semi-finals on two occasions, at BLAST Bounty and IEM Katowice. Additionally, ‘jL’ was unable to replicate his previous success from 2024, with a LAN rating of 1.06, a drop from his 1.13 rating last year.
What’s Next for NAVI at IEM Cologne?
The updated Natus Vincere team is set to make its debut later this month at IEM Cologne. Their journey will kick off in Stage 2, which is scheduled to commence on July 26. With ‘makazze’ stepping into a high-pressure environment and ‘jL’ now on the bench, all eyes are on how NAVI will perform against elite opposition.
Natus Vincere Statement
Natus Vincere roster is as follows:
- Aleksi ‘Aleksib’ Virolainen
- Mihai ‘iM’ Ivan
- Valeriy ‘b1t’ Vakhovskiy
- Ihor ‘w0nderful’ Zhdanov
- Drin ‘makazze’ Shaqiri
- Andrey ‘B1ad3’ Gorodenskiy (coach)
- Justinas ‘jL’ Lekavicius (benched)
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