Photo Story: US teenager wins $3m as Fortnite world champion

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A US teenager has won a record-breaking $3m to become world champion of the computer game Fortnite.

It is the largest prize pool in the history of e-sports, with $30m shared amongst the winners.

Kyle Giersdorf, 16, known online as Bugha, won the solo event of the competition in the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, which hosts the US Open tennis tournament.

Fortnite World Cup Solo Final
Fortnite player Bugha, in action during the final of the Solo competition at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup at Flushing Meadows Arthur Ashe stadium in Queens, New York, USA.

The Fortnite finals saw 100 players battling on giant computer screens.

Fortnite World Cup Solo Final
A general view of the final of the Solo competition at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup at Flushing Meadows Arthur Ashe stadium in Queens, New York, USA, 28 July 2019. EPA-EFE/JASON SZENES

Forty million players attempted to qualify over 10 weeks of online competition. More than 30 nations were represented with 70 players coming from the US, 14 from France and 11 from the UK.

 

Photos: EPA-EFE/JASON SZENES

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