A British teenager could win up to £2.3million when he competes at the Fortnite World Cup.
Jake Smith, 18, will be one of 100 players battling for the top prize at July’s tournament in New York City.
The youngster, from Mansfield, secured a place at the Fortnite World Cup after several weeks of qualifying rounds, where he was eventually placed in the top eight of 3,000 players in Europe.
First prize is $3m but even coming last nets you $50,000, Nottinghamshire Live reports.
Jake said: “When I knew that I’d got a place at the tournament I was absolutely hysterical and just couldn’t stop laughing.”
Fortnite is an online video game first released in 2017, where players compete to survive in a virtual world.
Jake first came across it when he had to take a year out of school after being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.
(Image: Nottinghamshire Live)
He said: “I was really ill at school and when I was doing my GCSEs I had to do them at home.
“So when I started in the sixth-form I had to take a gap year.
“That was at the same time Fortnite came out so it became really easy to get into and make friends and I was getting better and better at playing it.”
In February, Jake went to another Fortnite tournament in Poland where he stood in for someone who was too young to enter.
It was there that Jake was spotted by the manager of a gaming company who signed him as a player on a professional contract.
The youngster became one of a number of gamers around the world making money in what is known as e-sports.
He has no plans to go back to complete his time in sixth-form as his work in e-sports has become a full-time job.
(Image: Epic Games / SWNS.com)
He said: “It’s basically like a traditional football contract where I get a salary to play for this company.
“I’d always known that there was a career in e-sports but when I was younger all the games already had their very well-established professionals.
“I was coming into Fortnite at a time when it had just been released and so there weren’t any of those established players.”
Jake lives at home in Mansfield with mum Julie Smith, 42, and dad Darren Smith, 40, who will both be travelling with him to New York.
Julie, an operational manager for a charity, said: “When Jake first started getting into it I was a little bit concerned…
Popular Fortnite Merch
- DART BLASTING FORTNITE BLASTER REPLICA: This AR L blaster is inspired by the blaster used in Fortnite, capturing the look and colors of the one in the popular video game
- MOTORIZED 10 DART BLASTING: Blast 10 darts from this motorized blaster that has an acceleration button to power up the motor (batteries required, not included)
- 20 DARTS AND 10 DART CLIP: Includes a 10 dart clip and 20 Official Nerf Elite darts.To ensure proper use of AR L blaster ensure access door is fully closed before use. Make sure clip is inserted fully...
- Jenga game with a Fortnite twist: It's an exciting Jenga game with artwork, themes, and characters inspired by the popular Fortnite online video game
- Spin, stack, climb: Players spin the spinner and follow the commands: the number and type of Blocks to stack, and how many layers their Fortnite character must climb
- Don't fall short: Players move their own pegs up and their opponents' Pegs down as they remove and stack blocks. But if the tower falls As they climb or stack -- it's game over for them
- Practice your aim with this targeting set: this set includes an spmrnum-r blaster, 6 darts and 3 llama targets so you can practice your aim or play competitive games with family and friends
- Includes 3 llama targets: comes with 3 llama targets in different sizes to set up exciting games that challenge skills and test aim and accuracy
- Dart-blasting Fortnite blaster replica: this spmrnum-r blaster is inspired by the blaster used in Fortnite, capturing the look and colors of the one in the popular video game
- Dart-blasting replica of the Fortnite blaster: this its blaster is inspired by the blaster used in the popular Fortnite video game
- Pump-action 4-dart blasting: blast 4 darts in a row from this 4-dart, pump-action blaster that's hand-powered by you (no batteries required)
- 8 darts and storage stock: includes 8 official Nerf Mega darts and has storage on the stock for 4 darts, so you can keep backup darts nearby for fast reloading
- Super-Soft, Huggable Plush for All Ages
- High-Quality Materials
- Collectible Rare Loot Llama
- Unique Rocket Battle Royale gameplay.
- Everything is destructible! Real Sandbox mode.
- Craft Defenses, Forts, Towers, Sky Bridges, everything possible!
- Epic Games
- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Paperback: 112 pages
- Measures 14 inches tall and includes 23 pieces-9 weapons, 4 Back Bling, 8 exclusive building materials and a llama float that fits many 4" Fortnite action figures! Plus, it's pre-filled with a 4-inch...
- Giddy-Up features 25+ points of articulation and highly detailed decoration inspired by one of the most popular outfits from Epic Games' Fortnite.
- Bursting with colorful confetti, reveal your loot by tearing open your Llama to see a War Paint figure and a bunch of cool accessories.
- Ragnarok, Rex, Cuddle Team Leader and Brite Bomber 4" action figures - inspired by four of the most popular outfits from Epic Games' Fortnite.
- 19 points of articulation
- Highly detailed decoration
