Youngest Players Win Friday Fortnite Tournament and $10k Prize
In this week’s Friday Fortnite tournament, two of the youngest players took home the $10,000 grand prize.
Domeniks “Domentos” Bunts and Kyle “Mongraal” Jackson, from Team Secret, emerged as the champions after defeating Thomas “72hrs” Mulligan of Team Liquid and Michael Hogman from compLexity in the grand finals.
Before reaching the finals, Team Secret faced tough opponents like OpTic’s Jack “CouRage” Dunlop and Kenneth “Baldy” Anderson, as well as Guy “DrDisRespect” Beahm’s team. They even went head-to-head with 72hrs and Hogman in the winners bracket quarterfinals.
After their loss to Domentos and Mongraal, 72hrs and Hogman fought their way through notable players such as Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, Bryan “RiceGum” Le, and former champions TSM. This set up a rematch in the grand finals where they were able to secure a victory.
In the double-elimination tournament format, 72hrs and Hogman needed to defeat Team Secret in two separate series to claim the championship. The first series went in their favor, but Mongraal’s comeback in game two was cut short due to a bug. In the second series, Hogman experienced lag and FPS issues, causing him to be unable to save an injured 72hrs early in the game. Secret’s significant lead ultimately led to their victory.
The win not only made Domentos and Mongraal the fifth different set of Friday Fortnite champions, but it also made them the youngest pair to ever win the tournament. Domentos, aged 17, is already considered a veteran compared to the 13-year-old Mongraal, who is considered one of the best Fortnite players in the world.
However, despite their victory, KEEMSTAR, co-host of the weekly competitions, has banned Team Secret from future tournaments due to comments made by the organization’s Twitter account.
Team Secret tweeted that their players were “real pros, not entertainers,” which seemed to mock some of the less-skilled but popular participants. In response, KEEMSTAR swiftly banned the team from future tournaments, emphasizing the importance of the community.
KEEMSTAR later clarified that individual players would be allowed to compete under a different team name, but Team Secret’s name would not be associated with future events.
Whether Mongraal and Domentos will have the opportunity to defend their title in the future is uncertain. However, it is evident that this young duo possesses exceptional talent and may become a force to be reckoned with in major events to come.