The 21-year-old Austrian David “aqua” Wang was already at the peak of success at 17: He won $1.5 million at the World Championship in Fortnite when he became World Champion in Duo. In recent years, he added several hundred thousand euros. Now, at 21, he casually announces that he is done with eSports in Fortnite.
That was the big moment for David Wang:
- The then 17-year-old David Wang was able to win the Duo competition at the Fortnite World Championship in New York in 2019 with his Norwegian partner Emil “Nyrhoxx” Bergqqusit: He pocketed $1.5 million. Just shortly thereafter, he separated from his partner in a dispute.
- In an interview with heute.at, he said he did not yet know what he would do with all the money: First, he wanted to finish his driver’s license and buy a car.
- About his victory, he said: It was about shutting out the whole atmosphere and excitement in the stadium and concentrating entirely on winning.
Benijfishy had so much success with Fortnite that his mother took him out of school early:
After the World Championship, there were more victories, then the prize money dried up
What happened next? After 2019, Fortnite never held such a big “live event” as the World Championship again. As a result, during the Corona pandemic, Epic continued to downscale eSports, focusing on online tournaments in individual regions and for the various platforms instead of a grand spectacle in New York.
However, even in these online tournaments, Wang was at the forefront:
- In 2019, he won $160,000 at the FNCS: Season X Finale
- In 2022, he secured another $150,000 in the FNCS: Chapter 3 Season 2 Finale
Earnings dropped from $1.8 million to $940 a year
But in 2023, he has only earned $941 in prize money so far. That’s nothing compared to the $1.8 million he earned alone in 2019.
Since May 2022, aqua has only achieved smaller successes in tournaments, placing somewhere around 26th and taking home $300 (via esportearnings).
Aqua also made negative headlines in his career: He was once banned from a tournament.
This is how he now announces his career’s end: With a brief Twitter post on September 3, it was over: He says he is quitting Fortnite, without any further information.
Many Fortnite pros switch to Valorant
This is what’s behind it: Like Aqua, many once “big names” have withdrawn from Fortnite in recent years. Several factors surely play a role:
- With Fortnite, there is simply not as much to earn anymore as during its peak in 2019. Players like Benjifishy have pointed this out early on
- Furthermore, Fortnite is extremely dynamic; the conditions are constantly changing. It is hard to “stay at the top,” especially since many young talents are pushing in
- Ultimately, Fortnite was never an acknowledged eSports title like CS:GO, LoL, or Valorant. It was never designed as an eSports title with its “every man for himself” format. Even regarding the competitive integrity of the World Championship, there were some doubts afterwards: It is rumored that the winners had reached agreements on running paths with a shared coach to increase their chances of winning.
- Many are drawn to “real” eSports titles like Valorant
As early as 2020, one of the big winners of the Fortnite World Championship had already switched from Fortnite to the new cool competition:
Pro earns $1.8 million with Fortnite but is now switching to the “next gaming titan”
