Bugha, Fortnite World Cup winners receive in-game trophies

Esports haven’t yet achieved the level of importance that would see statues erected and streets renamed for legends of the craft, but Epic Games has immortalized its champions in another way, with new in-game trophies.

Fortnite World Cup winners have trophies dedicated to their accomplishments within the game world. There are two in total, one for solos winner Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, and the other for the duos team of Emil “Nyhrox” Bergquist Pedersen and David “Aqua” W.

The trophies are fixated in popular drop locations. You can find Bugha’s statue sitting on a stone pedestal in the center of Luck Landing, an appropriate namesake for the 16-year-old millionaire, and the actual spot he dropped to win the $3 million. Nyhrox and Aqua’s trophy sits in front of the Happy Hamlet, which they’ve landed at before, but not for the winning match nor many of the prior games at the World Cup event.

The top half of the trophy is designed like your typical dual-handle goblets with an exceptionally wide rim, with the base being a golden rendition of the Fortnite Battle Bus that drops players into every match. Etched into them are the names of the players and their respective queues of choice.

This isn’t the first time esports players have received in-game dedications for their accolades, but this one seems special. It’s the highest honor in a game that has been instrumental in elevating the visibility of esports, especially following a $30 million tournament.

It made its winners feel like celebrities, with the relatively unknown Bugha seeing huge increases to his Twitch audience, not to mention the one to his bank account. He has since appeared on TV talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in a promotion tour befitting a movie star.

Nyhrox and Aqua haven’t been as busy in that regard, but they have benefited from similar gains.

Strangely enough, the winners are already looking to make future changes. Nyhrox and Aqua surprised everyone by announcing they’d be splitting after the World Cup, while Bugha has threatened to quit the game due to the oppressive B.R.U.T.E. mech that has his peers singing similar tunes.

No matter what happens, they can always look back on the Fortnite World Cup as a life-changing moment. Even if those trophies eventually disappear, that’s something no one can ever take away.