Drin “makazze” Shaqiri isn’t just a new name on NAVI’s roster — he represents a rapid climb from Kosovo’s local CS scene to the global stage. At just 18, he’s already pushed through controversy, pressure, and success in the tier-2 ecosystem. Now, he’s stepping into the spotlight with a chance to prove himself at the top level. His aggression, raw mechanics, and consistent performance convinced NAVI to take a risk many thought premature.
As he joins Natus Vincere’s main squad, the entire CS2 world is watching: will makazze simply fit into the system — or become the piece that redefines NAVI’s competitive edge?
A new NAVI star rising
Makazze began his competitive journey in 2022, playing for local and semi-pro teams across the Balkans. Early teams like M1X and KS introduced him to his first experience of online qualifiers and small tournaments. Already then, his overwhelmingly aggressive play style and aim accuracy distinguished him, and regional scouts paid him attention.
He then joined BNE AC, a team that would be involved in a match-fixing scandal. One of his teammates received a ban, but makazze avoided any punishment and kept pushing forward. He gained recognition through performances in United21, XP Game Fest, and FACEIT Pro League events. By the end of 2023, he was considered one of the most promising young players in the region — and NAVI took notice.
In 2024, makazze was signed to NAVI Junior, Natus Vincere’s academy team. Under coach coolio, he immediately became the lineup’s driving force. His aggression, speed, and decisiveness made him a core contributor to the team’s success. With him, NAVI Junior won multiple tournaments, including XP Game Fest, Thunderpick, and FACEIT Pro League titles.
By early 2025, NAVI Junior had cracked the top-30 in Valve’s Regional Rankings — an exceptional result for an academy roster. In June, NAVI officially announced makazze’s promotion to the main squad while placing the rest of the junior lineup on the transfer list. The move raised immediate questions: who would he replace, and how would his role overlap with other core players?
Behind makazze’s aggressive in-game style is a surprisingly relaxed and grounded approach to training and downtime.
Unlike many pros who grind for hours before officials, makazze keeps it minimal — and effective:
- Pre-match warmup: 10 minutes of Aimbotz followed by 10 minutes of Deathmatch
- Daily training: Around 1 hour of Deathmatch every morning, always with music on
- He doesn’t believe in over-warming before matches, preferring to stay sharp with controlled, focused sessions.
I don’t like to play too much before officials. I just warm up quickly and go in.
Makazze keeps a simple routine outside of Counter-Strike:
When I’m not playing, I just go out with my brother and his friends, try to chill, relax, and disconnect from the game.
This balance helps him reset between high-pressure games and long practice blocks. Makazze started playing CS 1.6 with his brother over five years ago. After a few years of Fortnite, he returned fully to CS — initially just for fun. But by 2019, everything changed:
When BNE made it to the Major, it inspired me. That’s when I started taking CS seriously — grinding, hitting level 10, playing 3K elo, and eventually joining my first team.
That inspiration lit the path that would take him from Kosovo’s local servers to the NAVI main roster.
Playstyle
Makazze is a textbook hyper-aggressive entry fragger. He thrives in opening duels, confidently claiming map control and forcing defensive rotations. On the T-side, he plays as a space-taker — his job is to push forward, create pressure, and open up rounds for his team. He plays fast, but not reckless: his decisions are calculated and often decisive.
His strengths include excellent timing, raw confidence, and consistent entries. He shares many of his positions with iM, which makes his integration into NAVI a complex but exciting process. In a system that thrives on structure and balance, makazze’s challenge is to retain his identity while learning to function within a team-first philosophy.
Achievements
In just two years, makazze has secured more than 20 medals across tier-2 and tier-3 tournaments. His biggest achievement came at YaLLa Compass Spring 2025, where NAVI Junior defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas in the grand final and took home $75,000. He was the standout performer with a 1.37 rating over 12 maps.
Among his other notable victories:
- ESEA Advanced Season 50 Europe — Rating: 1.37
- United21 League (Season 20, 21) — Rating: 1.33, 1.34
- CCT Season 3 Europe Series 3 — Rating: 1.31
- Galaxy Battle 2025 Phase 1 — Rating: 1.31
- Thunderpick World Championship Qualifier — Rating: 1.26
Across all competitions, he’s collected over $54,000 in prize money and maintained consistently elite stats:
- Average Rating: 1.24
- Impact: 1.44
- ADR: 87.1
- KAST: 74.8%
- KPR: 0.79
Makazze’s most dominant individual performances include:
- vs 500 – 32–9 K/D on Dust2 (2.56 rating)
- vs OG – 24–9 on Nuke (2.32 rating)
- vs ENCE – 25–8 on Ancient (2.23 rating)
- vs ECSTATIC – 15–4 on Ancient (2.18 rating)
- vs ex-Enterprise – multiple matches over 2.20 rating
Makazze’s best map is clearly Ancient, where he consistently posts high-impact rounds and clutches — seven of his ten best-rated games were played on it. He’s also delivered strong results on Dust2 and Nuke, thriving in opening duels and aggressive T-side entries.
Inventory
Makazze owns one of the most valuable inventories among young CS2 pros — worth over $25,000. His collection includes a Karambit Sapphire, M4A4 Howl, Glock Fade, USP Kill Confirmed, AWP Asiimov, and AK-47 Gold Arabesque. Other premium items include Pandora’s Box gloves and highly sought-after stickers.
The choices reflect both luxury and aggression. His loadout is heavily themed around dark and red tones, reinforcing his on-server identity. For makazze, skins aren’t just for style — they’re part of the psychological game and a mark of status.
Settings
Makazze plays on a pro-level setup used by many elite players. His primary setup includes the ZOWIE XL2546K monitor, Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 mouse, Logitech G Pro X TKL keyboard, and Logitech G640 NAVI mousepad. His settings are 800 DPI with 1.3 in-game sensitivity (eDPI = 1040), and polling rate of 1000 Hz, with Zoom Sensitivity = 1. His setup provides him with a responsive and snappy feel for flicks and micro-adjustments.
His video settings are optimized for maximum performance and clarity, with minimal distractions and consistent visibility:
- Resolution: 1280×960
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Scaling Mode: Stretched
- Brightness: 93%
- Display Mode: Fullscreen
Advanced Video Settings:
- Boost Player Contrast: Enabled
- V-Sync: Disabled
- NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency: Enabled
- NVIDIA G-Sync: Disabled
- Multisampling Anti-Aliasing: 8x MSAA
- Global Shadow Quality: High
- Dynamic Shadows: All
- Model / Texture Detail: Low
- Texture Filtering Mode: Bilinear
- Shader Detail: Low
- Particle Detail: Low
- Ambient Occlusion: High
- High Dynamic Range: Quality
- FidelityFX Super Resolution: Disabled (Highest Quality)
These settings show that makazze prioritizes high FPS and clear player visibility while removing unnecessary visual effects — a common trait among top riflers.
Makazze uses a clean and practical viewmodel configuration that minimizes on-screen distractions and maximizes weapon visibility. For an entry fragger, clarity and reaction time are critical — and these settings reflect a balance between comfort and performance:
- FOV (Field of View): 68
- Offset X: 2.5
- Offset Y: 0
- Offset Z: -1.5
- Preset Position: 2
What’s Next
Makazze will make his main roster debut at IEM Cologne 2025 — one of the most prestigious CS2 tournaments of the year. It’s his chance to prove that he’s more than just an academy star, and that he can deliver under real tier-1 pressure. For NAVI, it’s a moment of transition. For him — the beginning of something much bigger.
His journey has already been filled with setbacks, headlines, and resilience. Now, the question isn’t whether he’s talented — it’s whether he can rise above the expectations and evolve into NAVI’s next franchise player. Judging by his trajectory so far, the odds are in his favor.
