diff --git a/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfeb.go b/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfeb.go
index 6e978748d..3883b86a6 100644
--- a/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfeb.go
+++ b/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfeb.go
@@ -62,14 +62,14 @@ type bpfProgramSpecs struct {
 //
 // It can be passed ebpf.CollectionSpec.Assign.
 type bpfMapSpecs struct {
-	EgressPktCount  *ebpf.MapSpec `ebpf:"egress_pkt_count"`
-	IngressPktCount *ebpf.MapSpec `ebpf:"ingress_pkt_count"`
 }
 
 // bpfVariableSpecs contains global variables before they are loaded into the kernel.
 //
 // It can be passed ebpf.CollectionSpec.Assign.
 type bpfVariableSpecs struct {
+	EgressPktCount  *ebpf.VariableSpec `ebpf:"egress_pkt_count"`
+	IngressPktCount *ebpf.VariableSpec `ebpf:"ingress_pkt_count"`
 }
 
 // bpfObjects contains all objects after they have been loaded into the kernel.
@@ -92,21 +92,18 @@ func (o *bpfObjects) Close() error {
 //
 // It can be passed to loadBpfObjects or ebpf.CollectionSpec.LoadAndAssign.
 type bpfMaps struct {
-	EgressPktCount  *ebpf.Map `ebpf:"egress_pkt_count"`
-	IngressPktCount *ebpf.Map `ebpf:"ingress_pkt_count"`
 }
 
 func (m *bpfMaps) Close() error {
-	return _BpfClose(
-		m.EgressPktCount,
-		m.IngressPktCount,
-	)
+	return _BpfClose()
 }
 
 // bpfVariables contains all global variables after they have been loaded into the kernel.
 //
 // It can be passed to loadBpfObjects or ebpf.CollectionSpec.LoadAndAssign.
 type bpfVariables struct {
+	EgressPktCount  *ebpf.Variable `ebpf:"egress_pkt_count"`
+	IngressPktCount *ebpf.Variable `ebpf:"ingress_pkt_count"`
 }
 
 // bpfPrograms contains all programs after they have been loaded into the kernel.
diff --git a/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfeb.o b/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfeb.o
index 9662849e7..928c8527e 100644
Binary files a/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfeb.o and b/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfeb.o differ
diff --git a/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfel.go b/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfel.go
index d196e43fd..56d03d193 100644
--- a/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfel.go
+++ b/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfel.go
@@ -62,14 +62,14 @@ type bpfProgramSpecs struct {
 //
 // It can be passed ebpf.CollectionSpec.Assign.
 type bpfMapSpecs struct {
-	EgressPktCount  *ebpf.MapSpec `ebpf:"egress_pkt_count"`
-	IngressPktCount *ebpf.MapSpec `ebpf:"ingress_pkt_count"`
 }
 
 // bpfVariableSpecs contains global variables before they are loaded into the kernel.
 //
 // It can be passed ebpf.CollectionSpec.Assign.
 type bpfVariableSpecs struct {
+	EgressPktCount  *ebpf.VariableSpec `ebpf:"egress_pkt_count"`
+	IngressPktCount *ebpf.VariableSpec `ebpf:"ingress_pkt_count"`
 }
 
 // bpfObjects contains all objects after they have been loaded into the kernel.
@@ -92,21 +92,18 @@ func (o *bpfObjects) Close() error {
 //
 // It can be passed to loadBpfObjects or ebpf.CollectionSpec.LoadAndAssign.
 type bpfMaps struct {
-	EgressPktCount  *ebpf.Map `ebpf:"egress_pkt_count"`
-	IngressPktCount *ebpf.Map `ebpf:"ingress_pkt_count"`
 }
 
 func (m *bpfMaps) Close() error {
-	return _BpfClose(
-		m.EgressPktCount,
-		m.IngressPktCount,
-	)
+	return _BpfClose()
 }
 
 // bpfVariables contains all global variables after they have been loaded into the kernel.
 //
 // It can be passed to loadBpfObjects or ebpf.CollectionSpec.LoadAndAssign.
 type bpfVariables struct {
+	EgressPktCount  *ebpf.Variable `ebpf:"egress_pkt_count"`
+	IngressPktCount *ebpf.Variable `ebpf:"ingress_pkt_count"`
 }
 
 // bpfPrograms contains all programs after they have been loaded into the kernel.
diff --git a/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfel.o b/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfel.o
index 5ff34587e..7acc38c25 100644
Binary files a/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfel.o and b/examples/tcx/bpf_bpfel.o differ
diff --git a/examples/tcx/main.go b/examples/tcx/main.go
index e0ac83d94..d31acb153 100644
--- a/examples/tcx/main.go
+++ b/examples/tcx/main.go
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 // This program demonstrates attaching an eBPF program to a network interface
-// with Linux TC (Traffic Control). The program counts ingress and egress
-// packets using two ARRAY maps.
-// The userspace program (Go code in this file) prints the contents
-// of the two maps to stdout every second.
+// with Linux TCX (Traffic Control with eBPF). The program counts ingress and egress
+// packets using two variables. The userspace program (Go code in this file)
+// prints the contents of the two variables to stdout every second.
 // This example depends on tcx bpf_link, available in Linux kernel version 6.6 or newer.
 package main
 
@@ -78,20 +77,19 @@ func main() {
 	}
 }
 
-func formatCounters(ingressMap, egressMap *ebpf.Map) (string, error) {
+func formatCounters(ingressVar, egressVar *ebpf.Variable) (string, error) {
 	var (
 		ingressPacketCount uint64
 		egressPacketCount  uint64
-		key                int32
 	)
 
 	// retrieve value from the ingress map
-	if err := ingressMap.Lookup(&key, &ingressPacketCount); err != nil {
+	if err := ingressVar.Get(&ingressPacketCount); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
 	// retrieve value from the egress map
-	if err := egressMap.Lookup(&key, &egressPacketCount); err != nil {
+	if err := egressVar.Get(&egressPacketCount); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
diff --git a/examples/tcx/tcx.c b/examples/tcx/tcx.c
index 61996ba02..248f0c340 100644
--- a/examples/tcx/tcx.c
+++ b/examples/tcx/tcx.c
@@ -4,43 +4,17 @@
 
 char __license[] SEC("license") = "Dual MIT/GPL";
 
-/* Define an ARRAY map for storing ingress packet count */
-struct {
-	__uint(type, BPF_MAP_TYPE_ARRAY);
-	__type(key, __u32);
-	__type(value, __u64);
-	__uint(max_entries, 1);
-} ingress_pkt_count SEC(".maps");
-
-/* Define an ARRAY map for storing egress packet count */
-struct {
-	__uint(type, BPF_MAP_TYPE_ARRAY);
-	__type(key, __u32);
-	__type(value, __u64);
-	__uint(max_entries, 1);
-} egress_pkt_count SEC(".maps");
-
-/*
-Upon arrival of each network packet, retrieve and increment
-the packet count from the provided map.
-Returns TC_ACT_OK, allowing the packet to proceed.
-*/
-static __always_inline int update_map_pkt_count(void *map) {
-	__u32 key    = 0;
-	__u64 *count = bpf_map_lookup_elem(map, &key);
-	if (count) {
-		__sync_fetch_and_add(count, 1);
-	}
-
-	return TC_ACT_OK;
-}
+__u64 ingress_pkt_count = 0;
+__u64 egress_pkt_count  = 0;
 
 SEC("tc")
 int ingress_prog_func(struct __sk_buff *skb) {
-	return update_map_pkt_count(&ingress_pkt_count);
+	__sync_fetch_and_add(&ingress_pkt_count, 1);
+	return TC_ACT_OK;
 }
 
 SEC("tc")
 int egress_prog_func(struct __sk_buff *skb) {
-	return update_map_pkt_count(&egress_pkt_count);
+	__sync_fetch_and_add(&egress_pkt_count, 1);
+	return TC_ACT_OK;
 }