Fortnite is one of the most popular games, selling skins by the boatload, getting collabs with major names like Lego and Disney… but how much of that money filters down to competitive, how much do Fortnite esports players make?
Average earnings for Fortnite players can be tricky to figure out. On the one hand, Fortnite esports are some of the easiest to get into. There’s basically no barrier to entry, which can mean a lot of players competing for the same prizes. However, it’s also a game with serious financial commitments to esports. There are major prize pools all throughout the year.
Looking for average earnings of a Fortnite player, we’ll need to take into account the outliers. The players who are the very best and get the most prize money. Plus, the experience of your average pro. The Trios who fill up the lobbies but don’t ever really crack the top 10. How much do Fortnite esports players make on all levels of the game?
The Esports scene for Fortnite is quite wide, but it’s the best players who make the most in earnings. Similar to other games, it’s the top players who get most of the cash since they’re the best in the title. Right now in Fortnite, the largest most recent prize pool was for the Global Championship.
The winners of the Fortnite Global Championship got $400,000. A considerable sum, which was split between two players. However, these two had won other events to get there.
Pollo, one of the winners, also won the most recent FNCS Major. Plus, the last 2 two majors of 2024. Just in these tournaments, Pollo’s half of their prize money was $400,000. Not to even factor in the Cash Cups and other events. In total, Peterbot’s current Fortnite earnings stand at $596,112. An impressive haul. The other Global Champion winner, Peterbot, is up to $810,268. One of the bigger recent answers to how much do Fortnite esports players make.
Past Fortnite pros who won big competitions have put up similar numbers. Bugha’s earnings stand at $3,793,214. So even more. But Bugha did win 3 million at the World Cup in 2019. Epic hasn’t had prizes on that level since. But they’re all examples of how much the best pros can earn.
While the World Cup prize levels haven’t been seen in a while, Fortnite esports pros still have the potential to get high earnings. Especially if they can stay at the top or multiple seasons or place well at the yearly-LAN. There’s also third-party tournaments with high prize pools, like the Esports World Cup. Those are increasingly a good spot to pick up extra earnings.
How much do Fortnite esports players earn if they’re a high-level, but not world-champion, player?
A player who placed in the right middle of Chapter 6 Season 1’s FNCS, DiegoPlayz, has earnings standing at $11,000 right now. This kind of number is pretty similar to others at this level. But even this kind of player is a stand out.
Those who are sitting in the middle of the FNCS lobbies are still some of the best players in the entire game. Each FNCS event’s final is only the 100 best players out of each Fortnite competitive server. So essentially, the elite few players.
At a lower level, many players manage to win under $1,000. In each Cash Cup or the old Victory Cups, a lot of players got a prize for a single game or standout performance. Not enough to make them competitive in the big money lobbies, but to get them on the board with earnings. These kinds of figures might be more accurate for more beginner Fortnite players. But they’re just the start of a lot of pros journeys.
That’s how much Fortnite esports players earn from pure tournaments winnings. But the capacity for Fortnite esports players to earn goes past prize money. If you want a full answer to how much do Fortnite esports players make, you have to consider other income too.
Fortnite is huge on streaming and content creator platforms. While there’s dedicated streamers, there’s also channels for players who made their name in Fortnite competitive.
These can be a vital source of income for Fortnite pros. It’s a way to get a more stable income compared to tournaments. While pros are performing well in the game, they’ll have the exposure to give them a quick career in Fortnite content creation. We don’t know how much specific pros earn through Twitch or YouTube since the number is private. For those who find the time to make content regularly though, it can be quite profitable.
If Fortnite pro players take every avenue open to them, then there’s potential to make a lot in Fortnite esports! Although, most players won’t quite reach that level. The prize pools that are available make it possible for players to make quite a bit from playing.
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