The new e-sports phenomenon: Fortnite

The chance that you have not heard of Fortnite is close to zero. It is the new online game hit by game producer Epic GamesWe can no longer ignore it: the role of e-sports in the game industry is increasing. This free game is estimated to make 7 million dollars per day!

The most recent update from the developer dates from February 2018 when they reported having 3.4 million concurrent players. This is higher than the concurrent player record held by PUBG, which was 3.2 million, making Fortnite Battle Royale one of the biggest games of 2018 so far and it continues to grow.

betting on Fortnite esport competition

In this dynamic and virtual world you are no longer just playing a video game allthough the game setup is one of the oldest in the book. This is a completely new branch of sport with serious competition and prize money to start with. The term computer game is therefore no longer in place. We are talking about large tournaments, professional teams, attractive sponsorship contracts and large-scale investments. Esports is booming business in every level of the game.

100 million dollars in prize money

Epic Games recently announced that it would be making no less than 100 million dollars in prize money for the game Fortnite: Battle Royale. Since the launch of the game, the Fortnite community has grown. Epic Games wants nothing more than to see how the best players compete against each other. The prize money will be available for the upcoming 2018-2019 season. The announcement does not explain which matches and events are involved. Despite the astronomical amount of prize money, the American game developer indicates that it is mainly about the fun of the game.

Unbelievable numbers and amounts

This third-person shooter game is record holder in prize money in the world of e-sports. Last year, the popular multiplayer game Dota 2 was still record holder with a prize money of an impressive 38 million dollars. If we look at the total amount of prize money paid, Dota 2 still takes the top spot: since 2013, it has already paid out more than $ 141 million to e-athletes. Epic Games can very well take over this leading position if the success of the game continues.

e-sports in Europe

Although e-sports in Europe are not yet as popular as in North America and Asia, this new branch of sport is experiencing a staggering growth. Many European football clubs, like Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco, have their own e-sportsman. The fact that the e-sports attracts more and more interested people is also apparent from the fact that Rotterdam in the Netherlands was the podium of the European finals of the League of Legends on several occasions. The tickets were sold out in no time and the atmosphere was unprecedented: futuristic light shows, uplifting music and super fanatic supporters in the stands. Who knows esports will outclass conventional sports in the future.

Meanwhile the number of players keeps growing and the game seems to be more than just a hype with a huge community that is eagerly awaiting every new addition the game developer comes up with. Want to try Fortnite yourself? It is available for PC, iOs, Playstation and Xbox and of course you can play it on your mobile devices too.