During the Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am, Epic Games revealed that Fortnite has surpassed 125 million players since the game’s debut last year, a huge milestone for a game that technically is still in Early Access. To celebrate this milestone and begin their push toward competitive esports, Epic has shared more details on their competition plans for the year ahead, which includes an all new Fortnite World Cup event.
Who Can Compete in the Fortnite World Cup?
Believe it or not, the Fortnite World Cup is open to all Fortnite players and is based on merit. Players who hope to compete in the finals must participate in the official Fortnite World Cup Qualifier events held throughout the coming year. The most important part of Epic’s esports plan is the fact that it truly is gamer-centric. “Epic will not be selling teams or franchises, and won’t allow third-party leagues to do so either,” said Epic in today’s announcement.
Fortnite World Cup Prize Pool
According to Epic’s announcement, the Fortnite World Cup Qualifiers will begin in Fall 2018, leading up to the Fortnite World Cup near the end of 2019. The $100 million prize pool will be divided up across many events at various levels of competition. This will include community-led events, online tournaments, and events held by major organizations. There’s no specifics on how much will be offered for each event, though we suspect this will be revealed as event dates are solidified.
Fortnite World Cup Modes, Platforms, & Schedule
The Fortnite World Cup will primarily involve Solos and Duos, but Epic plans to offer competitive events for Squads as well, stating that there will be “plenty of opportunity to squad-up in competition, too.” Epic hasn’t mentioned which platforms will be involved in the competitive scene, but since the announcement comes hot on the heels of Fortnite’s launch on Nintendo Switch, we may see competitions open up for players on each console.
Specifics on the platforms, rules, and event schedule for Fall 2018 are still being finalized, so we’ll be sure to keep you updated as details emerge. It seems likely that we’ll hear more about the qualifying events near the end of 2018. If you need to brush up on your Fortnite skills in preparation for the Fortnite World Cup, be sure to check out our Fortnite guides for various tips and strategies.
