makazze Dominates as NAVI Defeat The MongolZ to Reach ESL Pro League Season 23 Semi-finals

Natus Vincere secured a place in the semi-finals of ESL Pro League Season 23 after defeating The MongolZ 2-0 in the playoff quarter-finals. The series was highlighted by an outstanding performance from Drin Shaqiri, whose dominant showing helped NAVI maintain control across both maps and move one step closer to the title.

The victory continues NAVI’s strong playoff run at the prestigious ESL circuit event, which features a multi-stage format culminating in a single-elimination playoff bracket among the top eight teams.

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NAVI Secure Comfortable 2-0 Series Win

The quarter-final series began on Ancient, NAVI’s map pick, where The MongolZ initially kept the game competitive. Despite losing the early momentum after the pistol round, the Mongolian squad managed to edge ahead during the first half, holding a narrow lead before the sides switched.

Once in the second half, NAVI gradually wrestled back control. A crucial quad-kill from makazze in the mid-game helped stabilize the team’s defense after the scoreline tightened, and NAVI ultimately closed out the map 13-11.

The second map, Mirage, proved far more one-sided. NAVI quickly took command, establishing a dominant 10-2 lead at halftime before comfortably finishing the map 13-4, leaving The MongolZ unable to mount any meaningful comeback.

With the victory, NAVI advanced to the semi-final stage of the tournament, while The MongolZ exited the event in the 5th-8th place range.

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makazze Delivers MVP-Level Performance

The standout performer of the match was makazze, the 19-year-old Kosovan rifler who delivered one of the best individual displays of the playoffs so far.

Across the two-map series he produced:

• 1.87 HLTV rating

• 115.9 ADR (average damage per round)

• A significant positive round impact for NAVI

His performance on Ancient already set the tone, where he posted a strong rating and pivotal multikill rounds that shifted the momentum in NAVI’s favor.

Makazze’s emergence has been a key storyline for NAVI during the 2026 season. The young rifler, who previously played for NAVI Junior before being promoted to the main lineup, has increasingly established himself as one of the team’s most impactful players on rifle-heavy maps.

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Tournament Context and NAVI’s Road to the Playoffs

Before reaching the quarter-finals, NAVI secured their place in the ESL Pro League playoffs through the Stage 2 Swiss system. Their decisive qualification match came with a 2-1 victory over 3DMAX, which ensured the Ukrainian organization advanced to the LAN playoff bracket.

The MongolZ also entered the playoffs in good form after progressing through the same stage, having previously secured a crucial victory over 3DMAX themselves to claim a playoff berth.

However, their playoff campaign suffered an additional challenge, as the team competed in Sweden without coach Erdenedalai “maaRaa” Bayanbat, who was unable to attend the event.

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What’s Next for NAVI

With the quarter-final victory secured, NAVI move into the semi-finals where they will face the winner of another playoff matchup in the tournament bracket. The later stages of ESL Pro League Season 23 feature best-of-three semi-finals and a best-of-five grand final to determine the champion.

If NAVI maintain the level displayed against The MongolZ — particularly the form shown by makazze — they could become serious contenders for the ESL Pro League Season 23 trophy.