“I Don’t Want To Be A Paycheck-Stealer” – CS2 Major MVP Voluntarily Steps Down

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Justinas “jL” Lekavicius, who was last year’s breakout star and the first MVP of a CS2 Major, has chosen to take a step back from Natus Vincere on his own accord. At the pinnacle of his career after an extremely successful season, this self-imposed decision by the Lithuanian player is being widely admired in the gaming community.

“Not Happy Playing Anymore”

Navi formally declared that JL will be moved to their reserve roster. In his stead, the 17-year-old Drin “makazze” Shaqiri, a rising talent from the Navi Junior academy team, will step up.

In a very honest video on his YouTube channel, jL explained the reasons behind his decision:

“I’m just not happy playing anymore. It’s purely about my own thoughts and how I feel about the game and about myself.”

He mentioned that he intends to step away from his work for approximately half a year, which could be less or more, as he wishes to delve into fresh experiences and rekindle pleasure beyond elite competitions.

Success Comes At A Price

In the scorching summer of 2023, jL became a part of NAVI. That’s when the team decided to communicate in English. Alongside Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen and Mihai “iM” Ivan, this fresh lineup swiftly demonstrated their worth.

2024 turned out to be the best season of jL’s career:

  • Won four trophies, including the prestigious PGL Copenhagen Major
  • Earned the MVP medal at that Major
  • Ranked 5th best player in the world for 2024
  • Won the Closer of the Year award

But as jL himself put it, success at the very top level requires sacrifices:

“The sole reason for 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.”

A Brave Move During Tough Times

2025 posed a more challenging landscape for NAVI, with the team managing to qualify for playoffs regularly but falling short in capturing championships. Their best performance was reaching the semi-finals on two occasions, specifically at BLAST Bounty and IEM Katowice. Additionally, their leader, jL, struggled to maintain his exceptional form from 2024, as his LAN rating dipped from 1.13 to 1.06.

Instead of continuing to play merely out of habit, or as he phrased it, turning into an “unproductive employee” or “poor team member”, jL chose to take control and step down. This move was widely admired by fans and analysts for its high level of self-awareness and respectability, particularly coming from a player who is still at the peak of his career.

navi now have 2 major mvps on the bench

— NAVI jL (@jLcsgo_) July 8, 2025

Despite everything, jL looks back fondly on his time with NAVI:

“2024 was a great year. 2025 was a year of failures, but you learn from failures. And what I’ve learned is that maybe it’s time for me to hang up the mouse, at least for six months.”

He closed his statement by thanking teammates and staff:

“It’s been a blast. It’s been a pleasure. I hope to come back stronger – more ready and more capable of being a tier-one player.”

For team NAVI, the departure of player jL signifies a significant shift: it opens up an opportunity for a promising talent, Makazze, to showcase his abilities on the main stage. It remains uncertain if Makazze will be able to fill in the void left by jL.

One point is undeniable: JL’s choice serves as a stark reminder that beneath the heated realm of elite Counter-Strike, there exist genuine individuals – and at times, authentic courage can manifest in recognizing when to retreat.

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2025-07-09 22:09