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jL Set to Get Major Sticker Instead of apEX and Jokes About It
Justinas “jL” Lekavičius is expected to receive a sticker for the 2026 Singapore Major instead of Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, despite joining Vitality only as a stand-in. The possibility became much more likely on Monday (October 26), after Vitality lost 2-1 to FUT Esports at PGL Masters Bucharest 2026, a Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) tournament.
apEX is away from the team following the birth of his first child, with jL temporarily taking his place. The loss, however, means Vitality must play at least two more series in Bucharest, giving the Lithuanian the opportunity to meet Valve's participation requirement and become part of the five-player lineup used to determine the team's Major invitation.
jL Jokes About apEX's Paternity Leave and Another Supra
Vitality sponsor Stake Esports joined in on the situation with a social media post on Monday (October 26). The company attributed the following joke to jL:
“It was so nice for Dan to have a kid just so I could buy another Supra for my garage.”
The Toyota Supra reference is a joke about the potential money players can earn from Major sticker sales.
The stand-in had previously discussed the opportunity to play for Vitality in an exclusive interview with Strafe in August. At the time, he explained that he had agreed to join the roster, but would not take on in-game leadership duties:
“Before I joined, I said there's one rule: I'm not going to be the IGL of the team. And they said, 'Okay.'”
In a recent interview with Strafe, apEX spoke about the arrival of his child and the challenge of balancing his personal life with competitive Counter-Strike:
“The truth is balance in my life has always been one of the most important things.”
The captain is expected to return for BLAST Rivals Hong Kong, ahead of the Major.
Why Could apEX Miss Out on a Major Sticker?
The Valve Regional Standings (VRS) system takes into account players who have competed in at least five of a team's last ten series when determining its active lineup. As Vitality has already played three series with jL at PGL Masters Bucharest 2026, he would reach that threshold if he plays two more series.
FUT's victory left Vitality with a 2-1 record in the Swiss stage. A win in its next series would secure a playoff spot and at least one more match, while a loss would send the team into a deciding Swiss-stage round. Both paths give jL the opportunity to play a fifth series, provided Vitality keeps him in the lineup. If apEX returns before that fifth appearance, the sticker situation could change.
As a result, jL is expected to be listed among Vitality's five starters in the November 2 rankings, which will be used to determine invitations to PGL Major Singapore 2026, set to begin on November 24. That would make him eligible to receive an autograph sticker, while apEX could miss out on his own sticker at this Major.
That does not mean apEX would be unable to compete. Tournament rules allow a team to register a substitute, which could enable the Frenchman to return to Vitality's playing lineup. Stickers, however, are tied to the five players officially registered as starters.
Vitality returns to action on Tuesday (October 27) in the fourth round of the PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 Swiss stage. With two wins and one loss, the team needs one more victory to reach the playoffs. Its next opponent had not yet been determined as Monday's (October 26) matches were being played.
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Featured Image Credit: PGL
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