Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
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It was the biggest event in the history of Fortnite 
, offering the largest prize pool to-date in esports. The Fortnite World Cup in Flushing Meadows, New York, at the home of the US Open, took place this weekend and the overall event design was very much about the fan experience.
Inside the stadium, one of the biggest esports stages yet, using the tennis arena to deliver a circular stage with the 100 players across two-levels under massive screens that displayed the spectator views of the action. Every player seat also had a screen, with a camera view plus live player information – health, eliminations, and animations when they healed or used shield drinks.
Outside, a fan festival with dozens of carnival attractions to have fun spread through the US Tennis Association precinct. Everything from a zip line with custom glider features to make it look like characters dropping in from the Battle Bus, and a custom-designed 9-hole miniature golf course, to dance-move games, and photo opps with popular Fortnite characters. All games and attractions were themed around the Fortnite universe of locations and characters. Even the paper napkins at concession stands were Fortnite-themed, such was the attention to detail.
A “real-life Battle Pass” (an RFID wristband) was also used to track participation in events and, with four ‘challenges’ complete the pass could be redeemed each day for special items only available at the event, such as a glow-in-the-dark toy V-Bucks coin (the currency used inside Fortnite).
There were only three partner activations at the event that included non-Fortnite brands. The shooting gallery featured Nerf guns associated with the Fortnite X Nerf tie-in merchandise, and a chicken food outlet was Fortnite-themed with the food by chicken restaurant chain Fuku. The clearest commercial partnership was a YouTube Gaming Creator Lounge, where fans could get a chance to meet and greet with some of their favorite Fortnite content creators.
Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
The festival opened at 9.30 a.m. each day and closed at 1.00 p.m. to funnel fans inside the arena for the main events. On the Saturday night it reopened after the Duos final until 7.00 p.m. to give people extra time to get in on the action. Walking laps at a few different times to check the typical attendance levels across the many activity stations around the park, it seemed most festival stations had queue wait times listed at around 30 minutes on a regular basis.
Outside the venue, the nearest subway station was covered liberally in Fortnite promotional material. Posters on every advertising space and even the turnstiles had been branded with characters from the game.
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On the walk from the station, two buildings featured large G Fuel advertising billboards, featuring various G Fuel sponsored streaming stars, including FaZe Clan team members and Guy ‘Dr Disrespect’ Beahm.
Throughout the weekend, the event seemed to run very smoothly. Entry and concession stand queues seemed to flow comfortably, and entry and exit to the main stadium was simple. The stadium was definitely short of a sell-out attendance, but the 23,000 seat venue seemed to be comfortably more than half full.
Free merchandise was given away to fans too, such as inflatable harvesting tools from the game and signed photos of characters and other commemorative posters. Outlets also sold t-shirts and other exclusive items, with news on Sunday that the World Cup sweaters had sold out early.
Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
On Friday the Pro-Am event started two hours late after the Creative finals ran very long compared to the scheduled timings, but this was the only time when things seemed to slip.
By Sunday, the main event was preceded by a short music set by Marshmello, the dance music DJ who has famously teamed with Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins in Pro-Am tournaments and held a virtual dance party inside the game. Fans were able to get their hands on cardboard Marshmello headwear before the show so that hundreds of Marshmello heads were spread throughout the crowd as he played.
Epic Games seems to have invested heavily into the production of this event and the logistics of running it smoothly. It’s hard to imagine this would be the one-and-only Fortnite World Cup. But that may depend on how the next evolution of Fortnite esports, Fortnite Champions Series, plays out over the months ahead.
Before the weekend began, I wondered if this would feel like the end of the era; a bookend to Fortnite’s dominance of the popular gaming scene. But the experience did feel more like a launchpad, with the game showing great confidence in itself and where it’s heading next.
