Epic Plans to Take Fortnite to the Big Leagues of eSports

Epic is all in with Fortnite and Fortnite Battle Royal, as they readying the title to make a serious push in the eSports world.  

Just yesterday the company revealed that it will be providing a grand total of $100 million in prize pool money for Fortnite competitions during the first year of play.

“In the 2018 — 2019 season, Epic Games will provide $100,000,000 to fund prize pools for Fortnite competitions,” reads a blog post on the developer’s website. “We’re getting behind competitive play in a big way, but our approach will be different – we plan to be more inclusive, and focused on the joy of playing and watching the game. Stay tuned for more details about competitive structures and eligible platforms in the weeks ahead.”

News is still sparse regarding what competitions and tournaments will be held, but Epic divulged earlier today that they will be holding a Fortnite Pro-Am Tournament at E3 2018. The competition will feature 50 professional gamers and 50 celebrities. One from each group will pair up with each other, competing for the prize of  $3 million for the charity of their choice, as well as $1 million in charity money to split

An interesting note is that this will not be apart of the $100 million prize pool.

As of now, the lineup includes Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, Joel McHale, Markiplier, Myth, and MMA fighter Demetrious Johnson. Epic plans to announce more duos in the weeks leading up to E3 2018.

To view the competition, tune in to live streams located on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Mixer starting at 3:30 p.m. PT on June 12. If you’d like to attend in person, tickets will be available to buy for $10 via an email link sent to players in the L.A. area. The invites will be sent in waves until all 3,000 tickets are sold.

Last but not least, Epic plans to hold an invite-only Party Royale the evening of June 12 to thank Fortnite fans, players, and partners. To have a chance to win a ticket you must visit the official Fortnite booth on the LA Convention Center show floor during E3.