JACKZ to stand in for mezii at BLAST World Final

7-10-2024 19:55

The Brit is set to miss the event in Singapore in anticipation of the birth of his first child.

Vitality will field Audric "⁠JACKZ⁠" Jug as stand-in for William "⁠mezii⁠" Merriman at the BLAST Premier World Final, French insider Sebastien "⁠KRL⁠" Perez first revealed and the team has confirmed to HLTV.

The Brit is set to miss the $1 million event as he is expecting to become a father around the time it takes place, on October 30-November 3 in Singapore.

While competing at IEM Rio, Vitality's coach, Rémy "⁠XTQZZZ⁠" Quoniam, revealed to HLTV in a comment that the decision already came two months ago and stressed that this will not hamper the team's preparations for the Perfect World Shanghai Major cycle. That will begin with the European RMR 14 to 18 days following the BLAST Premier World Final, depending on which of the two groups Vitality end up landing in.

"William will become a dad around the World Final, so we decided about two months ago to take JACKZ as a stand-in," XTQZZZ said. "Of course we'll play with mezii before Singapore to prep for the Major."

It's not the first time that Vitality have called upon JACKZ to stand in for them at a time of need. The 32-year-old took Peter "⁠dupreeh⁠" Rasmussen's place for the duration of ESL Pro League Season 17's group stage in early 2023 while the Dane was on parental leave.

JACKZ has been without an organization ever since he was benched from TSM in January and subsequently released three months later. He has plied his trade with various teams since, most recently Project G, an organization-less squad that fell apart after just two months in September.

WOW

2024-10-07 19:55

13 replies

Not wow. Jackz again as an anchor, no thanks.

2024-10-07 20:01

12 replies

Still better than mezii as anchor sadly

2024-10-07 21:05

6 replies

Jackz might be a better player overall but not as an anchor.

2024-10-07 21:06

5 replies

In what world is JackZ a better player overall?

2024-10-07 23:54

4 replies

"Might", arguebly, debatable, maybe

2024-10-07 23:57

3 replies

mezii >>>>>> JACKZ - IGL mezii >>>>> JACKZ - Support mezii >>>>>> JACKZ - Star rifler mezii <<<< JACKZ - entry Don't know about awping tho

2024-10-08 00:09

2 replies

mezii<<<<<<<<<JACKZ - handsome

2024-10-08 08:17

1 reply

Jackz has that million dollar stare.

2024-10-08 09:42

good news for monesy fans

2024-10-07 21:16

meds? apex used him really well during pro league

2024-10-08 01:13

Silver bot detected. JackZ was stand in for Dupreeh, which was playing the same roles as him. Now JackZ has to play anchor roles. Nice self like too.

2024-10-08 01:19

Someone don’t remember that jackz play group stage vs top50 xd

2024-10-08 07:09

Dupreeh was playing anchor on most maps... B site mirage A site nuke B site vertigo... Same role as mezii right now

2024-10-08 10:12

guess whos back!

of all people to ask for a standin why jackz rpk would've just been infinitely the better choice

17 replies

or... neityu? he's already bffs with apex, crazy they picked jackz.

2024-10-07 20:03

jackz and apex are basically bffs so not unexpected.

2024-10-07 20:07

"basically bffs"? They're married

2024-10-07 20:21

Not married but they both live in Andorra to evade french fisc and they're very very close

2024-10-07 20:34

So close one might say they kiss and cuddle before officials

2024-10-07 20:35

Duo Jame time

2024-10-07 20:45

Having someone with a lot of experience is really important for a stand in

2024-10-07 20:11

That's why I'm not in esports management. I'd rather gamble on a young hard-hitter than a washed player that barely put up in T3/T2.5 There is a part of me that loves to see jackz on a stage again though

2024-10-07 20:20

It’s not the first time Jackz stand in for vita, and did relatively well, so it’s a better than gambling in a kid with no experience or chemistry with vita

That's vitality prerogative. They know more about who works well than me. I'm sure apex isn't just forgetting neityu exists

2024-10-07 20:36

Well the gamble with young talent is that they keep improving and increasing their value. Vita just need stand in to chill with before getting ready for major with mezii.

2024-10-07 20:41

better get shox or rpk then :D

2024-10-07 22:10

Shox would get 0.5 rating, rpk maybe 0.7-0.8. Jackz is built like the perfect cs2 stand in tbh with his vibes and brainless shoot head gameplay

2024-10-08 04:00

wonder how much cs rpk has played in the past year lol at least jackz is still active

rpk owns a garage and probably doesnt have much time ngl

2024-10-07 20:55

rpk is so fucking retired he would go triple negative in the server and I don't even mean that in a rude or disrespectful way. At least Jackz still plays the game rpk hasnt played a faceit game since almost January lmao

2024-10-08 23:19

LE TONK

2024-10-30 14:52

my GOAT. always loved jackz

Most lovable CS pro

They really dont like Mezii

Read the article again mens.

2024-10-07 19:59

Bro 😭

Dude, read literally the first sentence of the article before commenting please

2024-10-07 20:14

Young talent

WHY VITA WHY

2024-10-07 19:56

...name checks out?

Bad for everyone involved

Mezzi’s son winning with having father that doesnt leave

2024-10-07 20:02

I laughed

2024-10-30 14:53

I spilled a piece of tomato into my glass of coca cola because of you 😔😔😔

2024-10-30 15:43

gl to jackz, grats to mezii!

Zywoo sacrificing his top 1 for mezii, what a goat! Jokes aside, all the best to mezii an his family to be :D

2024-10-07 20:42

gratz mr Merriman

he is expecting to become a father around the time it takes place congrats

2024-10-07 19:57

jackz-chan UwU

2024-10-07 19:58

It was much better to take Neityu, he is currently at a much better level than Jackz, and that would have allowed him to be tested at the highest level for the future. I really like Jackz but really we're talking about a guy who plays T4 here

7 replies

Friendship does this

2024-10-07 20:00

Probably yes

flair

No relation, just logic. If you follow Jackz's career in recent weeks you know that his level is no longer at all the same as before, and if he has been playing lately with a very weak GenOne team (not even playoffs in Advanced) that’s no coincidence.

He was already playing in t4 when he stood in at EPL last year and he did fine + vibes he brings is a big factor (one of the few players for which the vibe argument works)

2024-10-07 20:08

Not really, just a few weeks before his standin at vitality he was playing with Heet, it was a level very, very much higher than the current Genone. I hope it goes well for him, or even that it could revive his career, but Neityu seems much more interesting in addition to being in the same roles as Mezii

2024-10-07 20:13

True but experience, confidence and vibes are important for standins

2024-10-07 21:07

let's go, we love returning characters

Flag checks out

we get french flag Vitality on HLTV for probably the last time ever

Until they sign neityu

2024-10-07 21:08

congrats

the worst Mirage A anchor that twistzz has ever seen

Vitality just won Blast World Finals

congrats mezii!!!!

Doesn't matter. Micky mouse tourney, everyone will save strats for Major in this tourney.

8/8, almost got me

mac-10 carry from jackz inc

Goat is back also congrats mezii!

Great for Mezzi. Man prioritizing once in a lifetime family events instead of this shit scene. Hope it goes well.

they should have gone with Neityu ngl

gratz mezzzzzzzzzzzzi

mezii no :/

Bro what his girl gon give birth to their child 😭

2024-10-07 20:04

Family 1st bro, will be missed :/

Vitality just became 99% cuter with JACKZ

2024-10-07 20:05

noooooooooooo cant see the full Vitality team!!!!!!!!!!!!

2024-10-07 20:06

my vibes GOAT

Well last time they used him as a standin he was doing alright. He might not fragg like NiKo but is super important for team chemestry tbh. Good choice and super happy for him

Vitality won already

2024-10-07 20:09

Good

2024-10-07 20:15

daddy jackz

GOAT JACKZ IS BACK, I WILL BE THERE

2024-10-07 20:18

-1% power to vitality

2024-10-07 20:25

-1% firepower, +200% vibes

2024-10-07 20:37

will not drop a map in playoffs, confirmed

2024-10-07 20:43

Flusha is better

2024-10-07 20:31

free win for Vitality now

My goat is back

2024-10-07 20:38

The future is bright so fucking bright

2024-10-07 20:39

yes !

2024-10-07 20:40

Jackz will own his kid m0nesy in the semi finals, mark my words

vitality 2:1 g2 grand final revenge for dallas

2024-10-07 20:47

Apex knows how to use Jackz so it's all good And French flag suits Vita well

2024-10-07 20:50

jackz is not a good anchor , its a downgrade for sure its like playing with 2 flamez as T and a weaker anchor than mezzi as CT

2024-10-07 22:12

Of course it's a downgrade, my point is that Apex will use him well and mitigate the malus, like he already did in 2023

2024-10-07 23:40

jackz is so garbage

2024-10-07 20:54

handsome goat. congrats mezii

2024-10-07 20:57

Congrats mezii but a huge upgrade for Vitality. God Jackz will win this event!

2024-10-07 21:04

vita back to being french ahaha

2024-10-07 21:09

now we need RpK only

French flag is back, niec! Massive congrats to mezii

2024-10-07 21:11

I'm sorry but you can always have a second kid, however Blast World Final is a once in a lifetime experience.

2024-10-07 21:30

alright, he getting carried for sure

2024-10-07 22:02

french cs is back for 1 tournament

2024-10-07 22:17

congrats william

2024-10-07 22:20

Stand-in buff incoming

2024-10-07 22:36

I remember the last time JACKZ was standin for vitality and he was absolutely goated trying to be the entry on side of apEX

2024-10-07 22:50

People take witnessing first child thing a little too serious, its just a baby bro nothing special

2024-10-07 23:38

Either you don’t have kids or must be the father of the year

2024-10-08 09:31

UPGRADE!

2024-10-08 00:14

Cool, as long as he doesn't play anchor.

2024-10-08 00:26

CONGRATS WILLIAM!!!!!!!!

2024-10-08 01:59

Twice jackz had done this for vita for the exact same reason

2024-10-08 04:01

Hope that his baby have a good health

2024-10-08 04:06

Why don’t ask falcons for magisk? Falcons literally playing nothing until rmr. Ur going to use retired player for 1m tournament

2024-10-08 07:11

Unfortunate for Vita

2024-10-08 09:40

The vibes will be immaculate

So Vitality is winning BLAST World Final

2024-10-08 09:52

allu played when his gf was pregnant and came 2nd in the major mezii is weak

2024-10-08 09:58

all my homies love jackz <3

2024-10-08 10:00

They should have kicked hunter and kept Jackz tbh.

2024-10-08 15:47

Sheeeeeesh. Gl Jacky. 10 times better than mezii

2024-10-08 13:36

"32 Yo star rifler" wow, strange move.

2024-10-08 16:32

BBRUH

2024-10-08 17:07

Jack will be the only player with zywoo to get big balls in the team, the three other are not even involve in winning and grinding Cs to improve the team / since CS2, vitality win because of skill not because of tactic so jackz addition will bring some more headshot

2024-10-17 09:19