Epic Games' shocking hit title Fortnite spawned more than a new genre in video games. It gave competitive gaming a whole new mainstream pedestal, harnessed Twitch to become the primary tool for watching your favorite battle royale players live, and spawned hundreds of competitive gaming careers. In many ways, Epic Games has these competitive players to thank for its success, because they make winning so easy and worth the insane hours a day of dedication. It would therefore be unfair not to recognize those who have had an immense impact on the battle royale, dominating most of its 350 million player base.
Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf
This is undoubtedly the least surprising name on the list. Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf quickly rose to fame when he became the winner of the first Fortnite World Cup in 2019. Although mostly unknown to the Fortnite community at the time, Bugha came into the limelight in the first World Cup match World, finishing first with nine eliminations. Throughout the cup, Bugha tallied an unimaginable 59 points. To put it into perspective, second place finished with 33 points.
The movie-like story garnered him enough attention to even land him an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as well as a story on ESPN.com. Since then, the defending champion has stayed true to his form, finishing in the top 10 19 times in 27 tournaments. By age 17, Bugha had amassed an estimated net worth of over $4 million, and established relationships with other high-profile contestants, like Ninja.
Tanner «Tfue» Tenney
Known as the bad boy of the Fortnite competitive scene, Tanner "Tfue" Tenney certainly doesn't allow outside drama to impair his battle royale skills. Although Tfue is one of Twitch's biggest streamers, with over 8 million followers, his competitive play earns him a spot on this list. He amassed nine tournament wins, but more importantly, his team made national headlines by scoring a record 53 combined eliminations on PC in 2018.
Tfue has since shown a growing disdain for the game's constant changes, as he opts to play Call of Duty: Warzone a lot more. Although, as a testament to his skill level, he recently returned to Fortnite in April 2020 to pick up two big tournament wins.
Kyle «Mongraal» Jackson
In all likelihood, most of those who follow the Fortnite ranks would say that Kyle "Mongraal" Jackson could definitely be next to win the Fortnite World Cup. His talents first caught the eye on Twitch, when he became a partner on the streaming service at just 13 years old.
Mongraal has been on a hot streak recently, with 23 top 10 finishes in major tournaments. Last year turned out to be his best year yet, with a victory in the Duos competition of the European Luxe Cup 2019, a sixth place finish in the Duos World Cup, as well as a 13th place finish in the Solos portion of world Cup. In terms of competitive earnings, he has raked in over $550 at just 000 years old.
Williams "Zayt" Aubin
Perhaps the toughest Fortnite players is Williams "Zayt" Aubin. Canadian juggernaut NRG eSports has participated in more than 40 tournaments, including 20 in the top 10.
Zayt didn't hit any major waves on the competitive scene until he posted six wins and a fourth-place finish in the Duos portion of the World Cup, all just in 2019. He and his Duos partner, Saf , had many in awe during the World Cup, as they combined for 22 eliminations and a Victory Royale in one of the tournament's early stages. The two most notable victories include the Katowice Royale 2019, Week 3 of the 2018 Summer Skirmish, and they also won the Scallywag Cup.
Benjy's 'Benjyfishy' Fish
Another name under the NRG branch that poses a major threat to anyone starting Fortnite is Benjy fish “Benjyfishy”. The European player is a relatively new player on the competitive scene, as his first major competition only took place in 2019. Although he has been as successful as those who have been playing much longer.
The teenager has won 10 major tournaments, with more than 32 top-10 finishes. Due to his high level of play, the teenager has already become a millionaire. Given that, don't be surprised when the youngster becomes a household name by 2021.
Tyler «Ninja» Blevins
Many Fortnite “historians” may disagree here, but Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is still worth consideration when it comes to the greatest players. For one, his resume is much longer than the others. The 29-year-old amassed 7 battle royales, with over 501 kills, according to fortnitetracker.com. With just over $131 in prize money, it's understandable why Ninja has decided to forgo tournaments for the foreseeable future to focus on streaming.
The blue-haired legend raised $30 million in an exclusive deal with Mixer (RIP) and has over 14,5 million Twitch followers who graciously donate and add to his $20 million net worth. If Ninja returns to the competitive scene, expect millions of fans to watch their screens as they hope he can still dominate this new, young, and ambitious wave of talent.
