Epic Games announces $100 million prize pool for Fortnite tournaments

Video gaming has come a long way in the last couple of decades from being just a pass time to having its own leagues that offer millions of dollars to winners. While dedicated professional gaming was restricted to computers; mobile gaming was only to pass time when someone didn’t have anything to do. But all that changed when mobiles with higher configuration started becoming increasingly affordable. Now, mobile games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite have become massive hits and are played by hundreds of millions of players, stimulating and catalyzing the e-sports industry.

In what is one of the biggest announcements in e-sports ever, Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, the immensely popular Battle Royale game has now announced a series of mega tournaments with a staggering $100 million in the combined prize pool. This news erases any doubt that professional gaming or e-sports as they are officially called are now anything but a thriving industry supported by many sponsors. This is undoubtedly the largest prize offered by a single company in a given year. A major part of the $100 million will be awarded to participants who compete in the first-ever Fortnite World Cup.

Each of the 200 players who qualify in the World Cup will receive at least $50,000 and the winner will receive the grand prize of $3 million. Such a large amount of money is life-changing for the average Joe.

This is definitely a milestone for the e-sports industry, as it is sure to attract bigger and bigger sponsors in the coming months and years.