Team Liquid is reportedly conducting a major roster overhaul in Counter-Strike 2, and rumors suggest that Justinas “jL” Lekavicius will be replacing Guy “NertZ” Iluz on the active roster. This has been based on practice sessions in which jL has been observed playing alongside the team, led by head coach Viktor “flashie” Tamás Bea.
This has been fueled by rumors from a leaker named Gromov, who claimed that jL has recently been observed in the practice room of Liquid. Although no official announcement has been made regarding the rumored signing, the presence of such a talented tier-one rifleman in the practice room has led many Counter-Strike fans to speculate that the team is planning a potential signing.
This will mark jL’s return to the server after about eight months of inactivity. The Lithuanian has been away from the scene ever since he was benched by Natus Vincere, which eventually replaced him with Drin “makazze” Shaqiri. During his inactivity, Lekavicius has remained involved in the scene as a commentator for Counter-Strike events.
For Liquid, it highlights the severity of their situation. The North American organization has struggled in 2026, failing to impress and now in danger of missing out on a spot at the upcoming IEM Cologne Major. It seems like the management is considering a “reset” for the struggling team.
Selecting NertZ as the odd man out is somewhat unexpected, given the overall struggles of the team. While the Israeli in-game leader has been decent enough individually compared to the rest of the team, it appears to be a deeper issue. This move to replace him with jL would be a stylistic move rather than a numbers-driven one.
