jL will serve as a stand-in for Vitality at the upcoming BLAST Open Porto 2026, replacing mezii who is on paternity leave. This marks a significant shift for jL, who previously focused on an aggressive lurker role with fewer grenade responsibilities.

“The biggest challenge is the grenades. I have a list of smokes I need to learn by BLAST. I’ll start practicing them tonight and throughout the week. I think it’s an interesting role on both T- and CT-sides. There are some rotation aspects I enjoy. I should perform well in these positions,” jL said.

jL sees BLAST Open Porto 2026 as Vitality’s best chance to win a trophy due to the novelty factor of the new lineup. However, he does not rule out success at PGL Bucharest 2026, where he will replace apEX while mezii takes over as team captain. Vitality will have more preparation time before PGL Bucharest 2026 and has already practiced with mezii in the captain role.

“Honestly, our most realistic chance to win a tournament is probably at BLAST Open. We’ll have apEX as captain and me. Sometimes there’s this so-called ‘honeymoon period,’ so that’s probably our best shot,” jL said.

jL aims to maintain consistent performance without a negative rating during his stand-in period. He considers winning at least one tournament as a key measure of success.