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CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18 is in full swing as two groups have been officially completed with fans being treated to a couple of interesting surprises. Danish powerhouses, Heroic, have shockingly made an early exit from the tournament while teams such as BIG and Movistar Riders have had great success relative to expectations. A team that a lot of people will be expecting to perform well at this event will be the international roster of Natus Vincere (NAVI).
The Ukrainian organization went international for the first time ever, ahead of the second half of the 2023 CS:GO season. One of the three international players in this new roster is up-and-coming Lithuanian superstar, Justinas "jL" Lekavicius.
jL shares his thoughts on NAVI's new system, the mood of the team before CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18, and Aleksib's impact on the roster
In an interview with N Siddarth from Sportskeeda Esports ahead of the CS:GO ESL Pro League Season 18, NAVI's star rifler, jL, explained the experiences the team gained from the Berlin boot camp, the impact his positive and cheerful attitude brought to the table and the great work that his in-game leader, Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen has been putting in so far.
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Q: How have you been doing and how has the Berlin boot camp helped the team ahead of EPL?
jL: This was the longest boot camp that the new NAVI roster has done so far. I think it has filled a lot of gaps that we had in our game and solidified our map pool. We feel more confident in playing different maps and it has been a really good bootcamp overall.
Q: How has it been working with such a prestigious team such as NAVI and being one of the first international players for the CIS organization?
jL: It feels really good. To be at the start of NAVI's international journey gives me a lot of confidence because there were a lot of players that they could have gone for and they chose to go for me. Of course, they signed me for CS2 most likely because I am a young prospect and it's my first year of pro CS. I am just super happy and proud of myself.
Q: You have proven to be a very cheerful and positive presence in the team so far. Is this a role that needs to be present in almost any team? How much have you enjoyed fulfilling this role so far at NAVI?
jL: Yes. It has been a huge part in how we play because we have three new international players right now and we come from different backgrounds. CIS players are a little bit different as they tend to avoid emotions and not pay attention to them.
However, with new international players, we need a good atmosphere to play and I have been keeping track of the mood and I try to improve it. I personally tend to play better in a good environment. iM and Aleksib also perform way better in a good environment. I think having a good mood really elevates us but we can do some good damage even without it.
Q: With the recent Berlin boot camp complete and a few months under the belt as a team, could EPL be the tournament where this NAVI roster can hit its peak and perform well?
jL: Of course! It can always be like that. With NAVI, you never know. We have such big high highs and huge firepower. We have players with a lot of experience, and we also have up-and-coming prospects.
We have a very experienced coach, a very experienced in-game leader, the best AWPer in the game, and one of the best riflers in the game, so we have so much stuff to fall back on. If we can just hit the right timing, we can be really dangerous for every team.
Q: Aleksib has been quite the polarizing figure among the CS audience due to him having led numerous top teams such as G2 and NIP and not necessarily bringing in the results that fans expect for a player of his caliber. Despite the general media's consensus, he often finds himself in various top teams. What do players and teams in the scene see in him in order for him to be such a respected figure?
jL: He has a good mindset for the game. He has a lot of understanding and also knows how to communicate and be there for people. Aleksi is just a great guy in general. He is a great player and I think the biggest reason for him not being able to succeed with the previous teams is because there were some pieces that were missing. Maybe, he was not getting along with the coach or maybe the players weren't right. There are just a lot of small details that add up and therefore things didn't work out. I think Aleksi will hit his peak with this NAVI team and so will I.
Q: How has it been communicating in English with s1mple and b1t so far? Have they adapted well to this new environment?
jL: I think s1mple has zero problems with communicating in English. He has played in FPLs and also stood-in for international teams before, so it hasn't been a problem for him.
b1t should be the one struggling the most on paper but he is not struggling as he understands everything and communicates very well. Of course, his knowledge of English is not 100% as he doesn't know the intricacies of the little details but he understands it really well. Sometimes he is not speaking the correct terms and misses stuff like "the" or "in," so it's nothing major.
Q: You were one of the star players on the Apeks roster and were a focal point to the team's success at the Paris Major. Understandably, you have taken a step back when it comes to putting up big numbers in NAVI due to having players such as s1mple and b1t on the roster. How has it been adjusting to this new system and way of playing?
jL: The level of gameplay we have right now has so many layers and little intricacies and it is so deep that it was kind of tough to get into at first. I was kinda wowed by the many scenarios that played out and there was a lot of depthness in our game. It's really interesting to learn and there were a lot of things to unpack, but it's super fun. I am just happy to be here and happy to be led by Aleksi, B1ad3 and to be surrounded by all these great players. It's just a fun ride!
Q: What are the differences you have noticed working under Aleksib when compared to your kyxsan who was previously your IGL back in Apeks?
jL: The difference between Aleksi and kyxsan is that the former has a lot more experience and he understands the game in a deeper way. He understands why things are done or when are things supposed to be done.
I think this is what kyxsan is missing in my opinion. He doesn't have this yet, but I think he will be a good in-game leader in the future. But if I had to choose between kyxsan and Aleksib, I would choose Aleksib every single day because I think he is a loyal teammate to play around, a loyal friend, and just a good guy to be around.
Q: Any final thoughts that you would like to share with the people supporting NAVI and you?
jL: Thank you all for supporting us. It has been a lovely ride and I hope you all join us for EPL. It's going to be interesting to watch because we might face Apeks in our second game if we beat 5yclone of course. I would like to thank you all for supporting and please keep doing it because it makes us smile and be happy.
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