Natus Vincere's makazze Shines with 4K Finish in EWC26 Opener

Drin “makazze” Shaqiri made a remarkable impact on his young career by delivering a clutch four-kill finish that secured Natus Vincere's (NaVi) 13-9 victory over 3DMAX in the Esports World Cup 2026. The match took place on August 12, 2026, and was part of the upper bracket of Group D in the tournament held in France.

NaVi dominated the first half on the CT side, leading 8-4 before managing to secure five rounds on the T side to clinch the match. makazze finished the game with 17 kills and 14 deaths, achieving a 1.27 HLTV Rating 3.0, which is above the average performance rating of 1.00. Although he was not the top performer on his team—teammate iM led with a 1.52 rating—makazze's performance was pivotal in this important match.

Having joined NaVi's main CS2 roster on June 30, 2025, makazze is now competing alongside established players like w0nderful, b1t, and Aleksib. NaVi's strong CT-side performance laid the groundwork for their victory, while the T side proved to be more challenging, resulting in a balanced 5-5 split.

The Esports World Cup 2026 runs from August 12 to August 23, featuring a total prize pool of $2 million, and is set to be a highlight of the global esports calendar, attracting elite CS2 teams for nearly two weeks of intense competition.