Epic Games confirms lower prize pool cap for third-party Fortnite tournaments
Epic Games has confirmed that third-party tournament organizers for Fortnite: Battle Royale have a prize pool cap much lower than Epic’s average payout. This information comes from Kotaku.
Exceptions to the Rule
The prize pool cap for these tournaments is set at $10,000, with one exception. Daniel “KEEMSTAR” Keem is allowed to put up $20,000 in his weekly Fortnite tournaments. However, NerdOut has also announced a $20,000 Fortnite tournament for tomorrow.
Backlash from the Community
Since the announcement of the Summer Skirmish, a series of tournaments with a total payout of $8 million over eight weeks, Epic has faced criticism from the community for stifling grassroots events. Many fans have expressed their disappointment in the developer’s focus on being the biggest tournament organizer, even if it means negatively impacting smaller event hosts.
UMG Events’ Departure
One of the most affected by this attitude is KEEMSTAR. UMG Events, which had been assisting KEEMSTAR in hosting the Friday Fortnite tournaments, revealed that it would no longer be involved in the weekly competition. The final Friday Fortnite event was also canceled after a public disagreement with Epic, which led to the developer hosting its own $500,000 Solo tournament on the same day.
New Schedule for KEEMSTAR
To avoid Epic’s tournaments, KEEMSTAR has decided to move his weekly tournaments to Sundays, which currently do not have Epic-run competitions. However, this may change in the future when Fortnite World Cup qualifying begins later this year.
Epic’s Intentional Strategy
While some may think that Epic is inadvertently damaging its reputation with these actions, it is likely that these tactics are intentional. Taking inspiration from games like League of Legends and Overwatch, where the developers control the esports scene through large-scale leagues, Epic seems to be trying to monopolize Fortnite’s competitive space.
The Future of Fortnite Esports
Whether this strategy is wise for Epic and Fortnite: Battle Royale remains to be seen. However, given the success of esports in games like League of Legends and the Overwatch League, Epic may have strong templates to follow moving forward.