Counter-Strike 2 analyst Joshua “steel” Nissan has given his commentary on Natus Vincere`s player, jL, refusing to shake hands with Eternal Fire`s XANTARES after their recent match at BLAST Open Lisbon 2025. Steel shared his views on social media platform X.
According to steel, refusing a handshake due to in-game actions like “teabagging” reveals a player`s mental fragility. He argues that showing you`re bothered by such actions gives opponents a psychological edge, encouraging them to repeat it. Steel suggests that the most effective response to “teabagging” is to reciprocate the behavior.
jL had previously stated that his refusal to shake hands was a direct consequence of XANTARES “teabagging” him during the match. In the game, Eternal Fire won against NAVI with a 2-0 score. Eternal Fire has advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament, while NAVI will begin their playoff journey in the quarter-finals.
The BLAST Open Lisbon 2025 tournament is being held from March 19th to 30th in Copenhagen and Lisbon, featuring a $400,000 prize pool.
Finley Holt