Following in the footsteps of famous actors, politicians, and singers, Fortnite World Cup Solo winner
Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf went on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to discuss the event and his sudden rise to celebrity.
The 16-year-old millionaire represented esports well on camera.
Fallon started out the night by placing the apparently heavy championship trophy on his desk. He asked Bugha what he plans to do with the trophy, and the nervous 16-year-old says he will most likely hang it up somewhere.
“You can’t hang this thing! It’s like 100 pounds!” Fallon exclaimed.
He then suggested Bugha build an entirely new room around it.
Since most people in the audience are not as knowledgable about esports and competitive gaming, Fallon wanted to make it clear that Bugha didn’t win $3 million by just fooling around and playing video games. Instead, he asked him what he does to train for a tournament like the Fortnite World Cup.
According to Bugha, he practices for long hours every day, although on weekends he gets up a bit later. Right away, he warms up his hands for 30 minutes in Fortnite Creative. Then he may eat a banana. Then it’s right back to practice. Bugha said he will get on a call with his friends and teammates from the Sentinels and they’ll start discussing strategy.
Fallon also wondered what his parents thought of his gaming career. Bugha told him that his parents began to realize Fortnite was a respectable career path when he signed with the Sentinels. Before that, Bugha revealed he was winning $100 at local tournaments.
“That was a lot to me at the time,” he laughed.
Of course, it’s nothing compared to the $3 million he won at the World Cup. Fallon asked him how he felt when he won the largest esports individual cash prize of all time.
“I had no emotion but at the time it just felt unreal,” he recalled.
Bugha beat out fan favorites, veteran streamers, and signed pros alike to take home the trophy. That included Team Liquid’s River “Riversan” Handley, Turner “Tfue” Tenney, and the ever-popular Danny “Dubs” Walsh.
After the success of the Fortnite World Cup, Epic has already announced the
Fortnite Championship Series. It will be interesting to see if Epic creates another celebrity along the way.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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