Right after the official announcement of being benched, NAVI player Justinas "jL" Lekavicius released a video where he candidly explained why he decided to take a break. The video, shot during his honeymoon in Greece, became an informal manifesto about burnout, the desire to live life to the fullest, and temporarily stepping away from the pressures of professional esports.

Against the backdrop of an unsuccessful year and personal fatigue
2025 was not the most successful year for NAVI—the team was unable to maintain the successes of the previous season, and jL, by his own admission, stopped enjoying the game. This became the starting point for a joint decision with the organization—to make way for the young makazze , while Lekavicius takes a break:

I knew NAVI was looking for some replacements, I knew I was not happy playing anymore, purely of my own thoughts and how I felt about the game, how I felt about myself. So then we came to a mutual decision to upgrade Makaze to tier one, make him join the main roster and put me on the inactive bench, but that's because I want to take a little break for six months, maybe less, maybe three, four, five
Justinas "jL" Lekavicius

Why jL is really leaving
The most important part of his message is his personal reasons. These include both physical and mental burnout, as well as the desire to explore other areas. He admits he wants to restore his health, get into sports, and finally just live:

Right now I don't feel the best physically, health wise, mentally, whatever. So I just wanted to work on that for a little bit. I want to focus on some physical activities like gym, kickboxing, MMA, whatever, you name it… I just want to be strong, a strong man, strong-willed, strong mental, and I don’t think I have that right now
Justinas "jL" Lekavicius

He recalls that over the past years, he sacrificed a lot for esports and literally "missed out on life":

I feel like I've missed a lot, a lot in life. And I know if you ask any pro players, they might answer the same.
Justinas "jL" Lekavicius

jL noted that one of the important reasons for the break was the need to spend more time with his family and support his wife, who managed many household and organizational tasks on her own:

My wife has been doing everything alone — the apartment, renovations, talking to the builders, everything. She planned 99% of the wedding, and my 1% was just agreeing: ‘Do you want this? Yes.’ I want to be a bigger part in our lives and the family that we're creating. That’s a big reason for me.
Justinas "jL" Lekavicius

Content, drifting, and Faceit instead of tournaments
Besides plans to engage in content creation, jL emphasizes that he is not saying goodbye to the team and the scene. He kindly addresses his teammates, thanks them for their collaboration, and promises to follow every NAVI match—now from the other side of the screen. Possibly even as an analyst:

And a message to the team, to the boys: thank you for being who you are — never change. And yeah, shout out to all my boys — it's been a pleasure, it's been a blast. I hope I could put a smile on your face, maybe once or twice. And yeah, I wish you luck with makazze — I feel like it's going to be a great fit for the team. Go on and win something. Maybe I was the problem — we'll see. I'm going to be co-streaming every single one of your games, maybe I'll even join the analyst desk if they allow me.
Justinas "jL" Lekavicius

jL explained that aside from wanting to develop as a player and regain his strength, he wants to try his hand at creating diverse content—from tutorials to game analyses. Additionally, he plans to pursue a new hobby—drifting with a specially prepared BMW E46, as well as actively participating on FACEIT and engaging with fans through streams:

One more reason why I decided to take a break is because I want to get into content creation. I love creating content, and it's not just about streaming or playing basic games or whatever. It's also creating content like this — 1v5, basic level 10s, or making some guides on how to improve playing your game and all that stuff. [...] I bought a drift car — a BMW E46 — and I really want to get into drifting. I'm going to be playing Faceit, creating content, and still be in front of your faces.
Justinas "jL" Lekavicius

jL's story is important because it touches not only on CS but the industry as a whole. He is not going inactive due to skill, age, or conflict. He is taking a step back to remain true to himself. A pause, after which jL may return—as a different person, or perhaps in a new role. But certainly with the same spirit.