"Fortnite" Players (Like You) Can Compete for $500K in Prizes at the Australian Open

Y’know, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Always wanted to compete at the Australian Open, but never enjoyed playing tennis/not at all interested into physically crafting your body into a specimen of peak athletic ability?

Well, have we got the opportunity for you!

At this January’s AO in Melbourne, regular Aussies can compete for a combined $500,000 in prize money and charitible donations simply by playing battle royale game Fortnite.

Registration for the Fortnite Summer Smash opens at 12pm AEDT on Wednesday 9 January, and the first 500 eligible players to sign-up online will be invited to compete in one of five Fortnite heats at Margaret Court Arena on Saturday 26 January.

That's right: You literally just have to be among the first 500 to register and you're in. (Follow the link to read more about eligibility, which includes being 16 or older at the time of the event.)

Attention gamers: Fortnite Summer Smash at the Australian Open will take place on 26-27 January during finals weekend. Tickets on-sale today starting at $5 for kids. https://t.co/5DlL3zXskf@FortniteGame pic.twitter.com/eTs4bFr5VR

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 7, 2019

Each heat will consist of two matches, with the top 20 from each heat progressing to a six-match Grand Finals event on Sunday 27 January.

There’s a first-place prize of $100,000, followed by $50,000 for the next two runners up, and cash prizes for anyone else who makes it into the Grand Finals.

After the Solo competition, there will be a Pro-AM duos event featuring 100 personalities from sports, entertainment and "the gaming world", who’ll compete for $100,000 to be donated to charities’ of the winners’ choice.

To find out more about how to enter—or how to buy tickets to watch this all go down—head to the official Australian Open website. And godspeed! You too could be sharing the same hallowed ground as Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Just, y'know, not quite doing the exact same thing as them.

Header Image: Australian Open