Bugha Claims Fortnite World Cup
Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf is $3 million richer after claiming the first-ever Fortnite World Cup Champion win. The 16-year-old from Pennsylvania was able to outlast 99 other players to claim the victory.
The competition started months ago as players were chosen during weekly online play-ins. A total of 40 million people tried their best to qualify for the World Cup, the very first esports event of its kind featuring the popular Fortnite video game.
100 qualifiers from 30 countries
During the Fortnite World Cup, the 100 players that qualified represented 30 different countries. The participants headed to New York to compete in the tournament event, during which they had to run, build, and fight their way to victory.
The 16-year-old from Pennsylvania was able to outlast 99 other players to claim the victory.
Players had to take part in six rounds of Fortnite battles. Those competing would earn points for eliminating others or for staying alive as long as they could.
The winner, Bugha, is considered a pro in the game, even though he is only 16 years old. He was able to pull ahead during the first round to earn nine eliminations and survive all other players.
Bugha is no stranger to competition play. He is part of the Sentinels, an esports organization that plays in tournaments featuring Fortnite as well as the popular Apex Legends and Hearthstone. After the first round, Bugha’s gaming was less impressive but still consistent. He maintained the first-place position throughout the event.
During the final round, Bugha was able to stay alive until the top 10, when he fell. However, he was already so far ahead that being knocked did not make him lose his position. In the end, the pro gamer was able to finish the event with almost double the score of the second-place finisher. On the win, Bugha said:
I’m just so happy. Everything I’ve done, the grind, it’s all paid off.”
Teens dominate the competition
These events see teens compete for large amounts of cash, with the possibility to earn life-changing windfalls just by being proficient at their favorite video games. For the World Cup, the total prize pool came in at $30m.
In esports, the earning potential is massive. Players can create a career out of gaming, including earning money by streaming their gameplay via streaming service outlets like Twitch. A favorite in the Fortnite World Cup, Turner Ellis Tenney, is well-known on Twitch for streaming his Fortnite gameplay. Although not a teen, Tenney is just 21 years old.