Epic Games Announces $100M Fortnite 2018-2019 eSports Season, 125M Gamers Strong So Far
Fortnite has grown to become one of the popular games of the day, and is the top battle royale shooter in terms of concurrent players, having surpassed PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) earlier this year. In a relatively short period of time, Fortnite has grown to 125 million players overall. The fast success is not lost on Epic Games, which is celebrating the monumental growth with a $100 million prize pool for Fortnite competitions during the 2018-2019 season.
That is a massive prize pool and speaks to both the growing popularity of esports and the widespread interest in Fortnite. The $100 million pool will be split between a bunch of events at different levels of competition around the globe, so you don't necessarily have to be a professional gamer to get a piece of the pie. Epic Games says Fortnite World Cup play will focus on solo and duo matches, with plenty of opportunities for squad-based play as well.
"We’ll be supporting community organized events, online events, and major organized competitions all over the world, where anyone can participate, and anyone can win. Fortnite World Cup Qualifiers begin in Fall 2018, and culminate in the first Fortnite World Cup in late 2019. Whether you’re in the competition or watching at home, we want this to be fun for everyone," Epic Games explains.
It has taken Epic Games less than year to attract more than 125 million players to Fortnite. With so many people getting in on the action, there is a diverse audience representing many different skill levels. Epic Games previously stated that it's approach to competitive play this time around is a bit different, in that it wants to be "more inclusive, and focused on the joy of playing and watching the game."
"This is for you, the players. Qualifications for the Fortnite World Cup will be based on merit. Epic will not be selling teams or franchises, and won’t allow third-party leagues to do so either," Epic Games added.
A full schedule of events is on the way, as are details about the specific rules, code of conduct, and platform support.
