A 16-Year-Old Just Won $3 Million at the Fortnite World Cup

Who said you couldn’t be successful by playing video games?  

Most 16-year-olds dream of simply having enough money to afford their first car. But that won’t be a problem for Kyle Giersdorf, who just pocketed $US3 million (AUD$4.3 million) after taking out the top spot in the solo finals of the Fortnite World Cup.

Just to put that into perspective, that’s more than tennis players Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep each took home for winning their Wimbledon singles draws this year.

Organised by Fortnite developer Epic Games, players competed in six games, with the highest points earner at the end named the best player in the world. Life goals, really.

The young American gamer known as Bugha dominated at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, maintaining his lead throughout the competition, and finishing on 59 points in total. Considering he finished 26 points ahead of second place, this kid must be an absolute machine.

With all that moolah, will he even go back to school? 

And if you thought you had the ultimate Fortnite squad, you may want to think again. The European team of Nyhrox (Emil Bergquist) and Aqua (David W) rose to victory in the duos tournament, winning $US3 million to split between them.

Qualifiers for the Fortnite World Cup started in April 2019, with over 40 million players worldwide participating. Interestingly, some higher-profile players such as Turner “Tfue” Tenney and Tyler “Ninja” Blevins failed to make it to the finals.

It comes as no surprise that the Fortnite World Cup was anticipated to be the largest eSports event of 2019, with a whopping prize pool of $US100 million. Launched in 2017, the battle royale game has attracted over 200 million users and has generated revenue reported at $US2.4 billion.

Although the game has copped criticism from schools and parents, it’s safe to say Bugha’s dad is doing a happy dance right now.

Header Image: Twitter (@Fortnite)