Fortnite’s popularity has skyrocketed since creator Epic Games transformed it into a battle royale game in 2017. For a game where the main goal is to be the last person standing in a 100-player skirmish, it’s a surprise that Fortnite hasn’t spawned a headline esports tournament in the UK.
That’s about to change with the arrival of the Red Bull Contested event on June 10. The tournament promises to be the first major live Fortnite esports showdown to be held in the UK. Tickets for the event, which will take place at the McEwan Hall in Edinburgh, go on sale on April 10.
The tournament will feature a host of top-tier esports stars competing for a £100,000 prize pool, including UK Fortnite sensation and Red Bull Player Jaden “Wolfiez” Ashman. The 19-year-old was the youngest-ever esports player to reach $1 million in earnings. Tell that to your parents the next time they threaten to confiscate your PS5 on a school night.
Ashman previously finished runner-up in the duos event at Epic Games’ official Fortnite World Cup in New York in 2019. The accomplishment landed him and his teammate Dave John (Rojo) a $2.25 million (£1.8 million) prize fund.
Here in the UK, the upcoming tournament will pit the world’s best competitive players against each other across eight intense solo rounds. Red Bull is spicing things up in the final four rounds by doubling points for eliminations. This should force players to adopt new aggressive strategies to stay in the hunt for the crown, while also incentivising the lower-ranked players to take more risks.
Budding Fortnite pros should take note: amateur players can duke it out for wild card spots in the tournament on May 20-21.
You better start limbering up those digits, however, as you’ll be facing off against the cream of the crop. Other Fortnite pros set to descend upon the arena in Edinburgh include Norwegian superstar Martin “MrSavage” Foss Andersen, FNCS: C3S2 winner Harry “Veno” Pearson, runner-up in the FNCS Major 1: C4S1 grand finals Thomas “Th0masHD” Høxbro Davidsen, as well as Champion of the Gamers8 2022 tournament Zachariah “Pinq” Siddall.
Ashman said the event should help to put the UK on the map as a major esports destination. “This event is going to be massive for Fortnite in the UK – the best players are all here for a major tournament and, with a proper Red Bull twist, there hasn’t been anything like it here,” he said.
It promises to be a summer of esports gaming as London is set to host the League of Legends MSI 2023 from Tuesday May 2 to Sunday May 21. The tournament will take place at the Copper Box Arena as part of plans to make London the European capital of esports by 2024.
If you can’t attend the Fortnite event, you’ll be able to watch every build battle and clutch shot live on Red Bull’s Twitch and YouTube channels. In addition, some of the top players will be streaming the action on their respective accounts.
