16-year old Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf wins $3 million at Fortnite World Cup
A teenager from Pennsylvania won $3 million and took home the top prize at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup on Sunday. Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf scored 26 more points than runner-up "psalm" to win the eSports tournament held at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens.
"Words can't even explain it. I'm just so happy," the 16-year-old said in an interview posted to Twitter by organizers. "Everything I've done, the grind, it's all paid off. It's just insane."
Congratulations @bugha! pic.twitter.com/nchRlL3wUC
— Fortnite Competitive (@FNCompetitive) July 28, 2019
The tournament offered $30 million in total prize money and saw more than 100 players compete over the weekend in duo and solo matches.
According to CNET, the team of Emil "Nyhrox" Bergquist Pedersen and David "Aqua" W. won the two-person championship Saturday, which includes $3 million in prize money.
Fortnite was released in 2017 by developer Epic Games. The free-to-play battle royale game — where a large number of players start a match and the last one who survives wins — is one of the most widely-played video games available, boasting around 250 million users, according to Epic.
Its popularity has spawned dance crazes, memes and led to the development of the Fortnite Championship Series, allowing amateur gamers and esports enthusiasts to compete year-round.