Gamers in Queens
Sports | The Fortnite World Cup shows a video game’s remarkable popularity
by Isaiah Johnson
Posted 8/15/19, 04:03 pm
A sold-out crowd in the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens roared as Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf lifted the Fortnite World Cup Solo trophy above his head on July 28. Inside the arena, which usually hosts the U.S. Open, purple and blue lights cut through the smoke and confetti filling the air to focus on the 16-year-old as he celebrated winning the first-ever Fortnite World Cup, a tournament for players of the popular Fortnite online game. The $3 million first-place prize was the largest ever awarded at a gaming tournament.