Team Vitality have signed jL as a stand-in for the BLAST Open Porto and PGL Masters Bucharest. The team considered several options, including a player from their academy, but ultimately decided against it.

XTQZZZ explained that after the Major, he assessed the academy players and concluded they were not ready for this level of competition. Instead, jL was chosen as the best option among two or three candidates.

Initially, a stand-in was only needed for the playoffs stage, but XTQZZZ considered it risky to debut a young player in important matches. The coach acknowledged that jL is not an ideal choice but the best available option.

“We had two or three options, and he was the best. We could have taken a player from our academy, but after the Major, I looked at them and decided they weren’t ready yet,” XTQZZZ said.

“We decided that this is not an ideal option, but at least the best,” XTQZZZ added.