A Proper Tournament Structure
Epic has already taken the first step in this by announcing the Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am at E3 this year. 50 celebrities and 50 professional gamers will drop onto the island and battle it out for that sweet Victory Royale. This tournament, however, is only the first step if Fortnite wants to break into the esports scene. Hosting regular tournaments around the country will help Fortnite garner even more attention in the competitive space and will give more high-skill players an opportunity to showcase their talent.
What does a Fortnite Tournament look like exactly though? This past weekend, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins hosted a tournament in Las Vegas, and the reception was very positive. It consisted of fans, pro-gamers, streamers, and whoever paid the $75 entry fee. The strengths of the battle royale genre cater to the exciting nature of unpredictability, making it possible for even casual gamers to win big in a tournament. The tournament consisted of nine individual games of Fortnite, only one of which was actually won by Tyler himself. Fortnite’s viability as an esport was showcased at this tournament, by proving its accessibility to everyone who is willing to give it a chance. The prize pool was fairly small, only consisting of $2,500 to the winner of each match, which is a drop in the bucket compared to big games like Dota 2, or League of Legends. But it at least showcased that Fortnite can be viable and entertaining to watch from an esport perspective.
