16 Year Old Wins Fortnite $3M World Cup
There’s a new Fortnite champion, and he’s sixteen years old.
Epic Games hosted the first Fortnite World Cup this weekend at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. The grand champion of the World Cup was Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, a 16-year-old boy from Pennsylvania.
To incentivize engaging opponents and placing higher in the standings, the World Cup used a point system. Bugha easily won the Fortnite World Cup with a score of 59 points in six matches. The runner up, Psalm, scored 33 points.
Bugha is a Fortnite player for the Sentinals Esports Organization, the organization that manages the LA Gladiators Overwatch League team. The World Cup Title is Bugha’s first big esports victory, in which he took home just over $3 million.
“Words can’t even explain [how I feel] right now,” Bugha said from the Champion’s circle. “I’m just so happy. Everything I’ve done, the grind, it’s all paid off. It’s just insane.”
Bugha started the World Cup by playing aggressively and gaining early points. This strategy helped him enter the final match with a 15 point lead.
There will be more opportunities for Bugha and other Fortnite players to chase glory; Epic Games has announced there will be more Fortnite tournaments like the World Cup. It might be tough for Epic to top this one since the World Cup had a Marshmello concert, a Lazy Links mini-golf course, and more Fortnite attractions.
