makazze Claims Career-First MVP at ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals

Drin “makazze” Shaqiri was awarded the HLTV x 1xBet Most Valuable Player (MVP) medal at the ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals, marking the first MVP honor of his career and a historic achievement for his home country. The 19-year-old rifler played a key role in Natus Vincere’s championship run in Stockholm, helping the team secure the trophy after defeating Aurora in the grand final.

The award also carries historic significance: makazze became the first player from Kosovo to receive an HLTV MVP medal, highlighting both his breakout performance and the growing presence of new nationalities in top-tier Counter-Strike.

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Dominant Performance Throughout the Playoffs

NAVI entered the EPL Season 23 Finals as one of the tournament’s strongest contenders and eventually captured the title with a 3–1 victory over Aurora in the grand final. The Ukrainian-led roster delivered consistent performances across the playoff stage, defeating several notable opponents on the road to the trophy.

Makazze stood out during the playoffs, producing impactful performances across multiple series. Earlier in the tournament, he delivered one of the most dominant displays in the quarter-finals against The MongolZ, where he posted a 1.87 rating in the victory that secured NAVI a semi-final berth.

By the end of the Finals event, the young rifler accumulated a 1.38 rating across nine maps, alongside strong fragging output and a positive kill-death differential that placed him among the event’s top performers.

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Edging Out w0nderful for the Award

Despite strong competition, makazze narrowly beat teammate Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov for the MVP honor. While w0nderful delivered a standout grand-final performance that helped NAVI secure the title, makazze’s consistent impact throughout the entire playoffs ultimately gave him the edge in the MVP race.

The award highlights makazze’s rapid rise since joining the NAVI system after previously playing in the organization’s academy setup. His performances at EPL S23 demonstrated that he can compete at the very highest level of Counter-Strike and contribute significantly to tier-one tournament victories.

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A Breakthrough Moment for the Young Star

The ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals victory also represented makazze’s first major tier-one title with NAVI. The tournament, which took place in Stockholm with a $776,000 prize pool and eight participating teams, served as one of the first major highlights of the 2026 Counter-Strike calendar.

For the 19-year-old rifler, the MVP medal is both a personal milestone and a signal of his growing importance within NAVI’s roster. His performance throughout the event suggests that the young talent could become a key figure in the team’s future campaigns as the season continues.