Kyle Giersdorf, a 16-year old boy from Pennsylvania, is now $3 million richer. Giersdorf, also known by his online name “Bugha“, is the first solo Fortnite World Champion. On July 28th, 2019 he came out first in the event’s new category, drawing the audience’s attention further into the competition.
News Highlights
- The Fortnite World Cup has its first solo winner, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf.
- Players from 30 nations were brought together in the Fortnite World Cup.
- Some speculations regarding the addictiveness of the game may threaten its good name.
Who is Kyle Giersdorf?
The winner of the Solo World Championship in Fortnite is Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf. His run for the trophy started around 1 p.m. ET on Friday, with an ominous tweet just moments before – “Today’s the day”. Upon finishing first, Kyle returned to his Twitter profile and reaffirmed to all his fans – “Today was indeed the day…”.
Retweets, likes, and followers came about in the aftermath, with many fans further praising the champion on his skill and gameplay. The winner practically took the lead in game six, holding firmly to a 15-point advantage, and 18 eliminations to launch him straight to the top of the ranks.
$30 Million Fortnite World Cup
The total prize pool for the Fornite World Cup was $30 million. “Bugha” was awarded $3 million in the solo category. The teenager seems to have taken on this prize for anything but the cash. In fact, as he stated for BBC:
All I want is a new desk and maybe a desk for my trophy.Kyle Giersdorf
The rest of the contestants feel no less rewarded for the opportunity to take part in such a massive event. The Solo category of the World Cup had the North America East player, “Psalm” come in second. The North America West player, “EpikWhale“, came in third. They were a point apart, with 2nd place earning 33 points and landing the $1,800,000 cash prize. The third-place winner won $1,200,000 for a total point count of 32.
Other Fortnite World Cup Winners
Faze Cizzorz
Duos and Creative were the other two categories available for competition. The duo, Nyhrox and aqua took home the first place title.
Faze Cizzorz, along with his team hiimtylerh, zand ッ, and Suezhoo was one of eight teams to win Fortnite World Cup Creative. The duo also took to Twitter in order to celebrate their victory, and practically all of them experienced the instant swarm of fame and glory.
Alternately, Fortnite celebrity Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, took part in the Celebrity Pro-Am tournament category, alongside EDM artist Marshmello. The category winners – Airwaks and RL GRIME – managed to get their selected charities a $1,000,000 donation.
About the Fortnite World Cup
The Fortnite World Cup is a multifaceted event that allows players from all over the world to get the chance to show their skills in Fortnite. Contestants from 30 nations took part in this year’s event, with about 70 players from the USA, 14 from France, 11 from the UK, and many more.
40 million players tried to qualify over 10 weeks of online qualifications sessions in order to reach the finals in their select category. The finals included 100 players set against each other, with the entire action visible on massive screens.
With a $30 million total prize pool, this event is said to hold the record in the payout prize pool. Nonetheless, this title is expected to be broken by another event in August called The International.
Getting Hooked on Fortnite
There has been some controversy regarding this game, especially since Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex asked for its ban. This move was on account of the assumption that it was “created to addict.” Only last month, the game’s creators were interviewed by MPs in the UK on the matter of age verification and in-game tools that reminded players to take breaks.
Despite this, the game is as popular as ever. Developers are swiftly moving towards the announced release of Season 10, coming August 1. A series of teasers are being released by Epic Games throughout July, preparing players for what seems to be a change of scenery.
The Rise of Skill-Based Gaming
Regardless of the controversy, Fortnite has definitely turned into an e-gaming classic and has no plans of backing down. This is due in part to the rising popularity of skill-based games and a more demanding audience. Software developers like Betsoft Gaming are finding themselves creating more innovative video games –like Max Quest: Wrath of Ra– that appeal to a younger generation. The goal is to grab the player’s attention to create a more immersive gameplay experience.
