What’s weirder – that playing video games is worth money…or that a 16-year-old is now a millionaire…for playing video games? The parents of Kyle Giersdorf[ - aka Bugha – may not be sure how to answer that question, but their son is still the grand prize for an individual player at the Fortnite World Cup Finals at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York.
Giersdorf snagged a cool $3-million - the largest payout ever for a single player in an esports tournament. The teen beat professionals and famous streamers alike, racking up 59 points in the event sponsored by the game's developer, Epic Games.
The top 100 players qualified for the three-day tournament out of 40-million competitors. More than a million viewers tuned in online, watching on Twitch, YouTube and Fortnite in-game stats. It was the largest payout ever for a single player in an esports tournament.
- In second place, 24-year-old Harrison "Psalm" Chang— a former professional Heroes of the Storm player — won $1.8-million. ‘Epikwhale’ took third, winning $1.2-million (he hasn’t disclosed his full name). In fourth, 18-year-old Nate "Kreo" Kou, of Parkland, Florida, won $1.05-million.
Source:CNN