XTQZZZ on playing with jL: "We were really happy to have something new"
HLTV reports that XTQZZZ has discussed the team's attitude toward playing with jL during a period of poor form. Vitality chose to focus on the potential positives of the new addition.
What happened
HLTV reports that XTQZZZ stated Vitality was happy to have something new while working with jL. The team reached this decision despite currently navigating a period of poor form.
XTQZZZ noted that the roster recognized the potential benefits of the change. This shift in personnel occurred while the team was active at a tournament.
Recent context
On 2026-08-29, HLTV reported that Vitality eliminated 9z from BLAST Open Porto, bolstered by an exceptional 1.96 rating from their Lithuanian stand-in. This performance introduced the stand-in whose presence was later discussed by XTQZZZ in Vitality eliminate 9z from BLAST Open Porto.
On 2026-08-30, HLTV reported that Vitality fended off Legacy to remain in BLAST Open. The team staged a comeback on Nuke to secure their advancement, serving as part of the period during which the team utilized a stand-in, as noted in Vitality fend off Legacy to stay alive at BLAST.
On 2026-08-31, HLTV reported that Vitality secured the final playoff berth at BLAST Open Porto by defeating FUT, with apEX contributing 101.7 ADR. This victory confirmed their spot in the bracket where they continued to play with the aforementioned stand-in, detailed in Vitality crush FUT to secure final BLAST Porto playoff berth.
On 2026-09-01, HLTV reported that apEX expressed confidence in Vitality's potential following a playoff appearance at BLAST Open Porto with jL. This perspective aligns with the team's internal satisfaction regarding the roster change described in apEX: "When I play like that, I think we're such a dangerous team".
On 2026-09-04, HLTV reported that Vitality advanced to the BLAST Open Porto semi-finals after a 2-1 series victory, overcoming a difficult start on Nuke. This progression through the tournament bracket provided the environment for the team to evaluate the roster change referenced in Vitality recover from Nuke drubbing to make BLAST Porto semi-final.
Why it matters
Vitality successfully advanced to the BLAST Open Porto semi-finals, continuing their campaign in the tournament. Please refer to HLTV for the original report.