Co-Founder of Epic Games Says “We are just getting started” With Fortnite Esports
Mark Rein, the Co-Founder and Vice President of Epic Games, hinted that the developer has big plans for the future of Fortnite: Battle Royale esports.
As one of the most popular games around the world at the time of writing, Fortnite has successfully broken into ‘mainstream’ culture unlike any title before it, which has allowed it to grow to new heights in such a short period of time.
While the game has a massive following of casual fans, many questioned if, and how, Fortnite could become a competitive esport title due to complications with the ‘Battle Royale’ genre in regards to ‘randomness,’ a current lack of Private Lobbies, and various other factors.
However, Epic Games shocked the gaming world by announcing an unprecedented prize pool of $100 million for future Fortnite esports competitions between 2018 and 2019 – a figure that many within the community are still trying to wrap their heads around.
The first official Fortnite tournament was hosted at E3 known as the ‘Pro-AM,’ which paired 50 streamers up with 50 celebrities for their shot at a prize pool of $3 million that would be donated to the charity of their choice.
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Following the event where almost two million live viewers tuned-in across all streaming platforms to watch, Mark Rein mentioned how the developer is ‘just getting started’ with esports, and that the experience will only improve as time goes on.
Wow! What a day! We’re just getting started with this esports stuff! We learned a ton today and have a lot of great ideas so that we can make it much better for players, spectators, and partners in the future. You ain’t seen nothing yet! 🙂 https://t.co/fjH6w8wzlM https://t.co/fjH6w8wzlM
— Mark Rein (@MarkRein) June 13, 2018
During the Pro-AM, the 2018-2019 competitive Fortnite season was officially announced by Epic Games, including a 2019 ‘World Cup’ with qualifiers beginning in Fall of 2018.
More information on the future of Fortnite esports can be found right here.