Epic Funds Massive $100 Million Prize Pool For Fortnite eSports Tournaments
Epic Games’ promise is due to the overwhelmingly positive response it has received from Fortnite players since the game's release. Epic Games remarked, “Since the launch of Fortnite Battle Royale we’ve watched the passion for community competition grow and can’t wait to empower you to battle with the best.” The devs also noted that they plan “...to be more inclusive, and focused on the joy of playing and watching the game during this competition season."
Fortnite Battle Royale has just entered its fourth competitive season. According to their storyline, a large comet crashed unto the map and altered the landscape of the game. Players can join with “Spitfire and Lok as they investigate the comet and gear up to recruit a team of superheroes.” The comet also created new points of interest, “Hop Rocks” that decrease gravity, and general map changes. Season 4 also boasts 100 tiers with over 100 rewards that include cosmetic items, emotes, and “Sprays”. The “Sprays” function like real-life spray paint and can be used to “tag” a player’s fort.
Season 4 includes a number of patches and updates as well. For example, the buildings on the starting island can now be destroyed and headshots are prioritized over other shots. Epic Games also filtered input settings based on game mode, added an “Ignore Gamepad Input” option, and fixed a number of bugs.
Epic Games is not the only video game company offering cash prizes for esports competitions. PUBG Corporation also recently announced that it will be offering a $2 million USD prize pool for their summer invitational tournament. Teams will be selected through qualifying events throughout the world. They will gather in Berlin, Germany from July 25th through July 29th. PUBG Corp. CEP Changhan Kim stated, "The PUBG Global Invitational 2018, is a landmark moment for PUBG Corp. as a showcase of the potential of PUBG esports.”
It is currently unclear how Epic Games plans to distribute the $100 million prize pool. It promises that more information will be forthcoming.