Jul 28, 2019

Pennsylvania teen wins $3 million in Fortnite tournament

Ina Fried

Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf celebrates winning Fortnite World Cup at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. Photo: Eric Ananmalay/ESPAT Media/Getty Images

Kyle Giersdorf, a 16-year-old from Pennsylvania, won the solo event at the inaugural Fortnite World Cup on Sunday, taking home $3 million in the process.

Why it matters: Such prizes show there is real money to be made in the booming esports arena, but lots people on Twitter on Sunday pondered whether such winnings are overglorifying the economic prospects for playing video games.

Yes, but: Jaden Ashman, a 15-year-old from Essex, U.K., finished as the runner-up in the doubles event and says his mother once thew away his Xbox after a fight. These days, though, she's OK with him being a professional video gamer.

Between the lines: Despite the big prizes in some of the top tournaments, some analysts believe the growing industry is in the midst of a giant bubble, while others say its a budding entertainment field just in its infancy.

Go deeper: Fortnite's mobile game continues to soar

Add Axios on Google

Pennsylvania teen wins $3 million in Fortnite tournament

What to read next