Hard gaming pays off!
A 16-year-old competitive Fortnite player just won $3 million over the weekend at a tournament, giving an excuse to gamers everywhere that playing Fortnite IS a productive use of time (OK, mom?).
Of course, it’s not all fun and games for Kyle Giersdorf — better known as his gaming moniker “Bugha” — considering the Pennsylvania teen describes gaming as his full time job.
Participants in the inaugural Fortnite World Cup were playing for a total of $30 million in prize offerings at the New York event on Sunday. Giersdorf reigned victorious in the solo finals sector of the tourney with 59 scored points.
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The teen scored 26 points higher than the nearest competitor, “Psalm” (real name Harrison Chang), who walked away with a still impressive $1.8 million in winnings. “Epikwhale” finished in third place and is now $1.2 million richer, while Florida’s Nate “Kreo” Kou won $1.05 million for finishing in fourth place.
After his epic win, Giersdorf, who’s signed to the Los Angeles-based eSports group Sentinels, told reporters:
“Everything I’ve done, the grind, it’s all paid off. It’s just insane.”
The solo world champ went on to appear on The Tonight Show to discuss his win and daily routine of Fortnite practice with Jimmy Fallon. On a weekend, he explained, the gamer wakes up around noon, eats a banana, and starts talking strategy with his Sentinels teammates.
Later in the chat, the humble teen revealed that his now-famous handle was actually a childhood nickname given to him by his grandfather. Ch-ch-check out his interview (below)!
The Fortnite World Cup certainly isn’t your traditional sporting event, but it featured a prize pool larger than many of the biggest tournaments this year.
In comparison, tennis star Novak Djokivic earned $2.9 million for winning the 2019 Wimbledon tournament; Tiger Woods earned $2 million for winning the 2019 Masters; and Brooks Koepka was awarded $1.9 million after winning the 2019 PGA.
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With 200 million registered players, Fortnite generates $2.4 billion a year. Although it’s free to play, players can augment their gaming experience with in-game purchases.
The Fortnite World Cup kicked off back in April, and concluded with the three-day event that started Friday. An estimated 40 million players threw their hat in the ring for the chance to play in the solo division, with just 100 making the cut.
Congrats to Bugha on his huge victory!
[Image via NBC]
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