Natus Vincere’s rifler Justinas “jL” Lekavičius has opened up about his decision to step back from competitive CS2.
In a vlog, jL shared the personal reasons behind it. “I knew I wasn’t happy playing anymore, purely of my own fault—how I felt about the game, how I felt about myself,” the 25-year-old player said, who revealed he’s taking a break for six months or less.
The Lithuanian pro said one of the main reasons for his hiatus is his desire to be a “good husband” to his wife, streamer Kamilė “Kamil3e.” The two recently tied the knot following NAVI’s campaign at the Austin Major.
“I just want to be a good husband, maybe a good father in the future. Right now, I don’t feel the best physically, health-wise, mentally, whatever. So I just want to work on that a little bit,” jL said.
JL also expressed concern for his physical and mental well-being. He shared that he has lost 18 kilograms since last summer due to the demanding nature of the CS2 competitive calendar.
He’s now aiming to prioritize his health by getting into physical activities and hobbies, including going to the gym, practicing martial arts, motocross, and drifting. He acknowledged the risk of injury from doing such activities between tournaments and how that could negatively impact a team.
In addition, the ex-Apeks standout looks to explore content creation more seriously. He mentioned that beyond streaming and playing FACEIT games, he hopes to produce meaningful content that benefits the CS2 community.
“I want to try myself in different aspects of life,” jL said. “The sole reason of competing in tier one is being the best, and being the best requires a lot of sacrifice. And that’s what I cannot give anymore.”
Looking back on his journey with NAVI in the past two years, jL reflected on the mental toll of tier-one competition. “What I’ve learnt is maybe it’s time for me to hang up the mouse, at least for six months. There’s a lot of things going on in my mind that I cannot really get away from. Whenever I compete, I have to sacrifice my hours.”
During his two-year stint with NAVI, jL reached impressive heights. The team won the PGL Copenhagen Major 2024, where he was named MVP. They also clinched titles at ESL Pro League Season 20 and IEM Rio that same year.
However, the first season of 2025 has been rough for the Ukrainian squad. NAVI failed to win a single trophy, and criticism mounted, with jL’s inconsistent performances drawing attention. He openly admitted to struggling mentally during the first season.
With his departure, jL has finally put to rest the rumors around who Drin “makazze” Shaqiri is replacing in the main lineup after getting promoted from the academy team. JL wished makazze and his former teammates the best as they head into the next season.
Meanwhile, jL is turning his focus inward, committed to rebuilding himself and preparing for a potential comeback.
“I hope to come back stronger. I hope I come back more ready, and more capable of being a tier one player.”
