Fortnite World Cup boasts strong live attendance figures
Anyone that tuned into the event knows that the Fortnite World Cup was a big success. Now the numbers that can confirm this are starting to pop up.
Epic Games is reporting over 19,000 fans attended the event, selling out the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. The strong tally comes alongside record-breaking online viewership and an unprecedented level of mainstream interest in an esports event.
Epic did not offer any specifics, with box office receipts, comped ticket numbers, and day-by-day attendances going undisclosed. Regardless, all signs point to the event being an unqualified success.
Despite a rocky buildup to the event, the Fortnite World Cup immediately drew swaths of fans both to their computers and to the arena. The event kicked off with a Creative competition that attracted solid numbers on social media. That didn’t slow down as the weekend progressed, with the solo finals peaking at a whopping 2.3 million viewers across YouTube and Twitch.
Epic spared no expense in making this happen, either. The World Cup was over a year in the making and the publisher ensured the event had global appeal. The solo and duo events included qualifiers for six different regions to ensure an international player pool, while the Celebrity Pro-Am and Creative competition included influencers and pro players from Asia, Latin America, Europe, and more.
Alongside those strong numbers on streaming platforms was a spike in interest in the game from mainstream media outlets. Though the North American media rarely acknowledge esports events, both local and national news covered the results, with solo champion Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf in particular getting the full celebrity treatment.
The big question moving forward is whether Epic Games will be able to maintain this level of interest in the coming years.
Fortnite stands as one of the most popular games of all time, with a reach and visibility few can match. The first ever world championship for the game was bound to garner a fair bit of interest, but it is unclear if Epic will be able to attract a comparable number of eyeballs at future events.
The publisher is seeking to remedy this by shoring up its esports department, but only time will tell if those efforts will bear fruit.
How much did Bugha make in the Fortnite World Cup?
Fortnite World Cup attracts over 2 million viewers for solo finals
Esports industry to reach $3 billion by 2025 says market reseracher
State Farm Insurance to continue with Riot Games as sponsor
Twitch draws streamer ire for Ninja, Pokimane ads
Apex Legends mid-season event confirmed, sparking PVE rumors
CSGO gets recreation of Raid, one of Call of Duty's most famous maps
Fox News points to video games, Fortnite for spat of shootings
Twitch is directing Ninja followers to other Fortnite streamers
Cloud9 cuts PUBG roster despite repeated successes in NPL
Changes appear at Tilted Towers and Dusty Depot in Fortnite
Donald Trump blames video games for US shooting attacks
Team Liquid's Impact discusses beating TSM with glacial comp
LA Valiant's FCTFCTN talks globalization, Orisa, and OWL fans
Liquid run over TSM with TFT-inspired lineup ahead of LCS playoffs