16-year-old Fortnite world champ wins $3 million

The Associated Press
July 29, 2019 at 10:10PM
The Fortnite World Cup at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, July 26, 2019. The acres of grounds supported an immersive Fortnite festival, filling the venue with teenagers just weeks before the U.S. Open.
The Fortnite World Cup at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, July 26, 2019. The acres of grounds supported an immersive Fortnite festival, filling the venue with teenagers just weeks before the U.S. Open. (New York Times/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

NEW YORK — All those hours playing video games have paid off for a 16-year-old.

Kyle Giersdorf, of Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, won $3 million as the first Fortnite World Cup solo champion. The competition took place Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

That payout is more than Tiger Woods made for winning the 2019 Masters Tournament.

Giersdorf, who goes by "Bugha" in the gamer world, says "words can't explain it."

Some 40 million players competed for a chance to play in the finals.

The tournament offered $30 million in cash prizes.

In second place, 24-year-old Harrison Chang, of the United States, won $1.8 million.

The duo competition was won by 17-year-old David Wang, of Austria, and 16-year-old Emil Pedersen, of Norway. They'll split the $3 million prize.

Players participate in the celebrity pro-am event at the Fortnite World Cup at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, July 26, 2019. The acres of grounds supported an immersive Fortnite festival, filling the venue with teenagers just weeks before the U.S. Open.
Players participate in the celebrity pro-am event at the Fortnite World Cup at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, July 26, 2019. The acres of grounds supported an immersive Fortnite festival, filling the venue with teenagers just weeks before the U.S. Open. (New York Times/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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