Fortnite World Cup 2019 announced, Epic not allowing the sale of teams or franchises

During the Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am, Epic Games announced more plans for its first year of competitive play. The 2019 Fortnite World Cup and its accompanying $100 million prize pool is open to anyone who plays the game. 

K.L. Smith, community and esports operations manager at Epic Games, gave some more details about where all that money is going and who will be able to participate.

Qualifying events will be held around the globe, giving anyone with access to such an event a shot at the World Cup. Epic will be funneling that prize money into more than just pure competitive play too, from the sound of it.

"We'll be supporting community run events, online events, and major competitions all over the world," says Smith. 

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The money will be split between many events all levels of competition. The World Cup itself will focus on solos and duos, but Smith says "there will be plenty of opportunities to squad up in competition too."

The most interesting detail was Epic's stance on the sale of franchises, as in, the way Overwatch League operates.

"Qualifying for the World Cup will be based on merit, and Epic will not be selling teams or franchises," says Smith, "and we won't allow third-party leagues to do so either."

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James Davenport

James is stuck in an endless loop, playing the Dark Souls games on repeat until Elden Ring and Silksong set him free. He's a truffle pig for indie horror and weird FPS games too, seeking out games that actively hurt to play. Otherwise he's wandering Austin, identifying mushrooms and doodling grackles. 

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