Montco teen wins $3 million in Fortnite tournament

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Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf, a 16 year-old from Montco, was the first winner of the Fortnite World Championship, held in New York City last weekend. (Image courtesy Flickr/ BagoGames)

The first winner of the Fortnite World Championship, held in New York City last weekend, was a 16-year old kid from Pottsgrove, PA. He became a multi-millionaire overnight, writes Paige Gross for Technical.ly.

Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf is his name. He fought his way through professional players and world-famous online streamers to win the $3 million jackpot. It was the largest payout to a single player in the history of esports, according to CNN.

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Giersdorf was ecstatic to come out on top in a tournament with world-class esports athletes. “Bugha” celebrated with his family at Arthur Ashe Stadium, about an hour-long drive from their home in Montgomery County.

“Words can’t really explain it. I’m so happy,” Giersdorf told the news outlet. “Everything I’ve done in the grind has all paid off and it’s just insane.”

Giersdorf dominated the first round, racking up 9 kills in-game, and continued his outstanding performance through the rest of the tournament. He ended with a total of 59 points, a significant lead over the second place winner. Harrison “Psalm” Chang, a 24-year old placed second in the tournament and took home a $1.8 million prize. Shane “Epikwhale” Cotton, also 16 years old, placed third, winning $1.2 million. Nate “Kreo” Kou, an 18 year-old, placed fourth and took home $1.05 million. Everyone that placed in the top four walked away with million dollar prizes, reports CNN.

The stadium was packed and more than a million viewers tuned in to watch online, according to statistics from Twitch, Youtube and Fortnite. Esports are becoming more popular around the world and the Philadelphia area is a growing hub for the phenomenon. Arcadia University is hiring esports coaches for its collegiate team.

“And oh yeah — and the city’s getting its own esports arena in 2021, called Fusion Arena, future home to Philly’s official Overwatch team and first of its kind in the country,” writes Gross. Upon completion in 2021, the hub will be a 3,500-seat arena dedicated to esports and entertainment, located near Xfinity Live! in the Philadelphia Sports Complex.”

For more information go to Techical.ly

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