In Fortnite (PC, PS4, Switch, iOS & Xbox One) there was the Pro-Am tournament at E3 2018. It was the first official tournament by Epic and the most famous streamer won it. But just barely!
The first official tournament: At E3 2018, Epic hosted the Pro-Am Tournament. In it, a professional teamed up with a celebrity amateur in pairs. Among them were actors, basketball professionals, and musicians. On the other side, there was a lineup of Fortnite celebrities, including the extremely successful streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins.
Round 1 – The Favorite Falls Behind
Ninja was the clear favorite: Many viewers were clearly on Tyler Blevins’ side. But the pro streamer was not in good shape and had bad luck. Early in the first game, a solo round to warm up, Ninja was eliminated from the game by the streamer Gotoga.
In the end, only players Kinstaar and Noah remained. The latter secured the victory with a well-aimed rocket.
Round 2 – Chaos Royale!
Intense action at the start: The second round was another warm-up, but this time in the already assigned pairs. From the outset, things heated up as several teams went at it fiercely. Players like Lil’ Yachty, who were very strong in the first round, were among those eliminated early.
Ninja has bad luck: Ninja performed better this time and was teamed up with his teammate Marshmello. He is a musician who always wears a bucket shaped like a marshmallow on his head. Ninja fought bravely and was more successful than in the first round. However, he was eliminated by the player Kinstaar with a rocket.
Round 3 – Ninja Strikes Back!
The Revenge of Ninja! In the third and final round, things got intense. In the end, only 3 players remained, Ninja and Marshmello against CouRage from OpTic Gaming.
The final storm circle was around a mountain, and Ninja along with his teammate had the top positions. From there, they could put pressure on Courage. He fought valiantly but fell in the end!
Ninja and Marshmello Win the First Tournament!
In the end, the two winners were crowned tournament champions. They received a total of one million from the prize pool of 3,000,000 dollars. By the way, the two winners will not pocket the prize money but donate it to charitable organizations.
Fun Fact: This money is not part of the 100 million dollar prize pool that Epic wants to provide for the first official eSports tournament season.
Battle Royale is a strange eSports format: The tournament once again showed that Battle Royale is an unusual format for eSports and tournaments. Due to the high element of chance, top players like Ninja can get eliminated very early. And due to the high psychological pressure, making a comeback in later rounds becomes even harder.
It remains to be seen whether Fortnite really will qualify as a good eSports title.
Watch the Tournament Again!
If you want to see the whole match, you can find a recording here:
The Fortnite eSports begins with a focus on Solo, Duo, and 100 million dollars in cash
