Epic Games announces 2019 Fortnite World Cup as game reaches 125m players
Publisher wont sell teams or franchise spots for the World Cup, nor will it allow third-party leagues to do so
Having reached 125 million players in less than a year, Epic Games this week announced the 2019 Fortnite World Cup.
Last month Epic revealed it had set aside an astronomical prize pool of $100 million for Fortnite esports tournaments.
Until now, there has been no official esports offering around Fortnite, despite it being one of the most played and widely watched video games on YouTube and Twitch.
With Epic finally confirming the 2019 World Cup, the publisher is poised to create one of the biggest esports in operation, potentially surpassing Overwatch, DOTA 2, and League of Legends in terms of scale and popularity.
What form exactly the 2019 World Cup will take is still a mystery, but Epic Games previously promised a "more inclusive" approach to esport tournaments and, based on yesterday's comments, is likely to be more egalitarian than conventional esport offerings.
"We'll be supporting community organised events, online events, and major organised competitions all over the world, where anyone can participate, and anyone can win... This is for you, the players," said the publisher in blog post.
"Qualifications for the Fortnite World Cup will be based on merit. Epic will not be selling teams or franchises, and won't allow third-party leagues to do so either."