Who is NAVI’s new rising star, makazze?

The Kosovar player, Drin “makazze” Shaqiri, has taken a significant step in his career by being elevated to the main roster of Natus Vincere after excelling in their academy setup. This announcement comes as NAVI seeks to rejuvenate its lineup amid transformative changes within the team.

With the summer of 2023 marking a pivotal period for NAVI’s Counter-Strike division, the academy team has gained notoriety for fostering phenomenal talents such as Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, Rodion “fear” Smyk, and Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov. Following NAVI’s open call for young talents with impressive accomplishments on FACEIT, makazze and another player, Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija, were selected for a trial based on their remarkable performances for KS.

The trial experience was described as straightforward, with the players standing out due to their aggressive playstyle and strong game knowledge, as highlighted by coach David “Kairi” de Miguel. Fast forward nearly two years, makazze is now ascending to the top tier with NAVI.

This decision invokes memories of past roster updates, notably when b1t joined the main team back in 2020. His inclusion facilitated multiple championship victories, including two Major titles. The support from fellow players like Flatron “juanflatroo” Halimi, who assisted with makazze’s transition into the competitive arena and helped him participate in online leagues as early as age 15, has been instrumental in his rise.

As makazze prepares for his debut at IEM Cologne, the spotlight is on how he will perform at the highest level considering this is a major tournament known for its competitive environment.