Last Updated on 30/07/2019 by TDH Publishing (A)
According to the latest reports, a US teenager has won a record-breaking $3m (£2.4m) to become the world champion of the popular computer game Fortnite.
With $30 million shared amongst the winners, this is the largest prize pool in the history of e-sports. Kyle Giersdorf, who is aged 16, won the solo event of the competition in the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, which hosts the US Open tennis tournament.
Jaden Ashman, a 15-year-old from Hornchurch, London- won almost £1 million for holding the second position in the duos event. And another British teenager, a 14-year-old Kyle “Mongraal” Jackson from Sidcup, Kent- also walked away with a huge prize amount.
Mr. Giersdorf, popularly known online as Bugha, stood laughing and shaking his head as the crowd erupted when his name was announced. He told the BBC he desires to avoid wasting most of his prize. “All I want is a new desk and maybe a desk for my trophy,” he said. The final sport was described by the commentators as a “ridiculous victory lap” as the winner played with a smile on his face whilst beating his opponents.
The event is seen as a huge moment in e-sports, which is estimated to be a billion-dollar industry in 2019. However, its record for the most important prize pool is already set to be broken by another event referred to as The International, going down in August. The Fortnite finals saw 100 players battling on huge computer screens. Forty million players tried to qualify over 10 weeks of online competition.
Approximately 70 players from the US participated in the event, along with 14 players who came from France, and 11 from the UK. The game involves 100 players being dropped onto an island where they have to search weapons, build structures and eliminate each other until one player comes out on top. It has 200 million registered gamers worldwide and is free to download, but gamers can spend money on in-game purchases. They can play alone, as part of a four-person squad or a 20-member team, either with friends or people they do not even know.
