The 2020 Fortnite World Cup has been canceled; Epic Games announced today. All other live events throughout the year have also been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Epic Games has canceled one of the biggest Fortnite events of the year. (Photo courtesy Epic Games)
The coronavirus has severely impacted almost every esport league and gaming event. Most major esport leagues have switched to an online format and have canceled all live events for the foreseeable future. Fortnite’s competitive scene is the latest to be impacted by the pandemic as the biggest Fortnite event of the year has been canceled.
The Fortnite World Cup was one of the biggest esport events in history and featured a massive $30 million prize pool. Over one million people tuned in to the event and showed the popularity of the Fortnite competitive scene. Most fans and players expected a similar experience and event in 2020, but this is no longer happening because of the current state of the world.
Epic Games explained that they do not know when they can return to a live event format but that they hope there will be Fortnite World Cup in 2021: “We don’t know when a return to large, global, in-person events will be practical, but we’re hopeful to be able to put on some form of Fortnite World Cup in 2021”.
The announcement also provided information on what other events players can compete in such as the Fortnite Champion Series and Cash Cups. The FNCS will return each season for the rest of the year and Epic is ensuring that players can enter competitive matches with cash prizes consistently.
Epic will also continue to work with third parties to host online events. Official broadcasts will also make a return and will start with the FNCS Invitational which begins on May 2nd.
Fans have praised Epic Games for their open communication and their plans for the rest of the year. The decision to cancel all live events was expected, but the explanation on their plans for other online competitions has eased the minds of fans and players worried about the lack of Fortnite competitions.
